The Pope’s funeral is set to take place this Saturday, with global leaders like Macron and Donald Trump attending. However, King Charles won’t be there. Despite being the head of the Church of England, he has not been invited, and the reasons remain unclear.
While UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed his attendance, King Charles is notably absent, sparking widespread debate.
Royal protocol
Royal protocol says the British monarch can’t go to papal funerals. It’s a long-standing tradition that the King or Queen of the UK — who also leads the Church of England — doesn’t attend funerals held overseas.
Instead, that job goes to the heir. So this time, it’s Prince William who will represent the Royal Family at the Vatican.
This rule isn’t new. Back in 2005, when Pope John Paul II died, Queen Elizabeth stayed home and sent then-Prince Charles in her place.
In 2023, when Pope Benedict XVI passed away, no member of the Royal Family attended. That’s because Pope Benedict, who was the first pope in 600 years to step down, asked that only Italy and Germany (his home country) send official representatives. So the UK was represented by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan instead of a royal.
Weird timing?
King Charles, known for his close ties to the Pope, won’t be attending the funeral—raising eyebrows. While royal rules typically prevent monarchs from joining state funerals abroad, what’s odd is that Charles had just met with Pope Francis privately days before his sudden passing at age 88.
In his tribute, Charles honored the Pope’s compassion and leadership, calling him a global voice for unity and climate action.
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” King Charles said and continued: “His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.”
Time for Prince William
With King Charles officially stepping back, all eyes are now on his son.
Sending Prince William to represent the royal family at Pope Francis’s funeral is seen as a big moment for him — a real sign that he’s becoming a major figure on the world stage.
It adds to his growing list of important appearances. Just last year, he was in the spotlight when he joined world leaders — including Donald Trump — at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Trump even called him a “good-looking guy” during their chat.
Prince William was also recently seen at the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.
This will actually be the first time he officially attends a major international funeral on behalf of King Charles. He did go to Kuwait in late 2023 to express condolences after the Emir passed away, but he didn’t attend the actual funeral.
So what do you think? Should King Charles make an exception and go himself? Or is sending Prince William the right move? Drop your thoughts in the comments!