Prince William Joins Global Leaders to Pay Tribute to Pope Francis

On Apr 28, 2025

On Saturday, Prince William represented King Charles III to pay his respects to the Pope, joining world leaders for the historic funeral at St. Peter’s Square.

Standing alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer, William observed a moment of silence before Pope Francis’s sealed wooden and zinc coffin, positioned before the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica. With his hands clasped, the prince bowed his head solemnly, reflecting ahead of the funeral Mass.

Dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie, William then walked through the majestic basilica and down the steps into St. Peter’s Square. After shaking hands with a member of the clergy, he was escorted to his seat.

This marked the most significant duty of his reign as heir to the throne, as he made a solo journey to the Vatican on Saturday.

This marks the first time that Prince William has represented the monarch at an international funeral.

In the basilica, William briefly conversed with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on his way to the service. He also exchanged words with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, ahead of the Mass.

Seated in the third row, the prince found himself next to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, an arrangement that seemed unexpected. Although William had been anticipated to sit beside fellow heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, accompanied by Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the seating plan—arranged by precedence and in French alphabetical order—appeared to have been altered.

Throughout the ceremony, William was seen reading the order of service booklet, which included an English translation.

In the row ahead of him were Jordan’s King Abdullah and Queen Rania.

Around 55 heads of state, 14 heads of government, and 12 reigning monarchs attended the open-air service in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Among the dignitaries who paused to pay their respects at the pope’s coffin were U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside their spouses.

William made the journey to the Vatican on behalf of his father, King Charles, the head of the Church of England, to honor Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

This decision for William, the future Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church, to represent his father follows a modern tradition and protocol. In 2005, Charles, then Prince of Wales, attended Pope John Paul II’s funeral on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.

The occasion marks a significant milestone in William’s development as a global statesman and future king.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive security operation was in place around the Vatican as hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Vatican City.

NAN/Oluchi