Prince of Wales to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on behalf of King Charles

The Prince of Wales will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, Kensington Palace announced overnight.

Prince William has never met the late pontiff but his attendance on behalf of King Charles is in keeping with royal protocol and government advice.

The 42-year-old will join UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other world leaders, including Donald Trump, at the mass in St Peter’s Square at 9am on Saturday morning (6pm AEST).

READ MORE: Why William and Kate spent Easter away from the royals

It marks the heir-apparent’s latest outing on a world stage, following his attendance at the official opening of Notre Dame in Paris in November last year when he also stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other world leaders.

Prince William held a separate meeting while in France with US President Trump, who praised the royal.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were the last royals to see Pope Francis alive, having a brief meeting with the pontiff during their state visit to Italy earlier this month.

The British royals were originally set to include a state visit to the Holy See while in the country but this was postponed due to the pope’s health.

READ MORE: Shared passion saw King Charles and Pope Francis meet for the first time almost a decade ago

Pope Francis had spent a month in hospital, where he was being treated for double pneumonia.

Meanwhile, King Charles was briefly hospitalised last month, the week before his trip to Rome, over side effects to his on-going cancer treatment.

Prince William is the first royal confirmed to attend this weekend’s service. It’s not yet known which other international royals will join him.

The Spanish royals are yet to announce if they will attend The Vatican but on Tuesday, King Felipe opened the book of condolences at the Apostolic Nunciature – the diplomatic post of the Holy See – in Madrid.

His Majesty was joined by his mum, Queen Sofia, and wife, Queen Letizia, who all donned black attire for the solemn occasion, as the trio paid their respects.

King Frederik of Denmark shared a message of condolence on social media on Monday, following news of the pope’s death, alongside photos of himself and Australian-born wife Queen Mary with the pontiff in 2018.

However, on Tuesday, the Danish royal household announced the monarch would be in Japan from Wednesday to Friday this week (April 23-25), “at the invitation of the Japanese government”.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands similarly shared a message about the loss, alongside photos of the royal couple meeting Pope Francis.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis,” they wrote.

“We have warm memories of our personal audience with him, during our state visit to the Holy See in 2017. Pope Francis radiated mercy in everything he did. With his deep-rooted faith in God’s love, he was the embodiment of benevolence and humanity.”

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf issued a message on the passing of Pope Francis, sharing his appreciation on behalf of his wife and his country for the head of the Catholic Church’s time.

“The Queen and I remember Pope Francis with great respect and warmth,” the monarch’s statement said.

“By virtue of his natural charisma, deep humility and his unwavering defence of human dignity, the Pope was a significant leader.

“Many in our country particularly appreciated Pope Francis’ historic visit to Lund almost ten years ago.

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“We remember with warmth the ecumenical service when Lutherans and Catholics gathered under the arches of the cathedral to leave historical conflicts behind in a spirit of reconciliation and understanding.”

The message added that Queen Silvia visited The Vatican multiple times over the years of his papacy, suggesting she shared a special relationship with the late pontiff.

“On this day, we look back with gratitude at the Pope’s commitment to the world’s vulnerable.”

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