Several royals attended Pope Francis’ funeral last weekend, including Prince William. Royal fans reacted angrily as soon as the Prince of Wales entered St. Peter’s Square, despite the fact that the future king was there to represent his father, King Charles. His clothing was considered disrespectful by some.
Pope Francis visited more than 60 countries during his 12-year pontificate, meeting world leaders, dignitaries, and numerous members of the Royal Family from different royal houses. Prince William never had the privilege of meeting Francis, but King Charles and Queen Camilla did.
But on April 26, when Pope Francis was buried following his death on Monday, April 21, it was he who represented the British Royal Family in the Vatican. William wasn’t the only royal in attendance; there were presidents, prime ministers, and numerous other prominent visitors.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were present, as were Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco. Along with Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium also traveled to Italy to pay their respects.
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and Queen Mary of Denmark, who represented the Danish Royal Family alone while her husband, King Frederik, was in Japan for three days, were also representatives of the Nordic royal houses.
Catholic royals are supposed to sit in the front row of St. Peter’s Basilica, according to Vatican protocol. Prince William has filled in for King Charles, who has been battling health issues since receiving a cancer diagnosis a year ago.
Why Prince William went to Pope Francis’s funeral
Nevertheless, King Charles’ absence from the Vatican to attend Pope Francis’ funeral was not due to illness. The heir to the throne, not the current ruler, frequently attends funerals, according to royal expert Hugo Vickers. For instance, when Pope John Paul II passed away in 2005, Prince Charles, not Queen Elizabeth II, spoke on behalf of the British Royal Family.
That’s all protocol, then. As you may recall, the Pope did not attend the Queen’s funeral. In fact, Prince Charles attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, not Pope Benedict, Vickers stated on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive program.
In fact, he delayed his blessing service by one day. Do you recall anything from 20 years ago? That the Prince of Wales would be the one to go is entirely accurate. Thus, I’m not shocked at all. Those kinds of funerals are not attended by the King.
Prince William has received numerous accolades for his ability to fill in for his father. “The Prince of Wales was “absolutely the right guy” to attend the pope’s funeral, Vickers said.
Although it isn’t the reason for this one, the King’s health issues last year clearly forced him to step up and be deputized in a strong manner for King Charles. “I think he’s doing it very well while juggling family life,” the royal expert stated.
Vickers is not the only person who has praised Prince William following the funeral of Pope Francis. According to body language expert Judi James, who spoke to Express, the Prince of Wales embodies the “ideal” future king.
“The greatest compliment to William is probably that he was almost invisible at the Pope’s funeral, with his graceful body language appearing appropriately calm and composed despite all the international leadership dramas that surrounded him.” According to Judi James, William’s sole responsibility was to pay respects, and he did it flawlessly. Although his height makes him stand out, his body language was subtle.
After replacing King Charles, Prince William expressed gratitude. James went on to examine William’s body language and explain that “he bowed his head slightly in a moment of reflection when he stood with [British Prime Minister Sir Keir] Starmer at the coffin.”
According to the body language expert, Prince William’s actions were “elegantly politely drama-free,” and “it was his call in terms of ending the pose, as he turned out of it first to signal to the Starmers that it was time to move away.”
Pope Francis and his family received condolences from all around the world upon his passing. Twelve days prior to Francis’s passing, King Charles issued an official statement reflecting their final meeting, even though he wasn’t present at the Vatican to say goodbye.
“However, knowing that His Holiness was able to extend an Easter greeting to the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry has somewhat eased our heavy hearts,” Charles said in a statement.
His compassion, concern for the Church’s unity, and unwavering dedication to the common causes of all believers and good-willed individuals who strive for the betterment of others will be remembered as hallmarks of his holiness. Many people around the world shared his view that taking care of Creation is an existential manifestation of faith in God. He had a significant impact on many people’s lives through his work and concern for the environment and people.
Even though Prince William seems to have represented the British Royal Family admirably, many royal fans had strong opinions about his attire just minutes after he arrived at the funeral. William, like Donald Trump, opted for a blue suit rather than the more conventional black one.
Prince William received backlash for attending Pope Francis’ funeral in a blue suit.
The Prince of Wales’ choice to dress in a navy blue suit, white shirt, black tie, and black shoes drew harsh criticism online. The crucial query: why didn’t he wear black?
“I find the blue suits annoying. One person commented, “Sorry, but isn’t there a standard for black suits?” according to Hello Magazine. “Wearing black was too difficult?” a second person asked. A third, however, said, “Blue suit? Inconsiderate. Forever.
Nichola Murphy, lifestyle editor for Hello Magazine, disagreed, saying that it’s not always disrespectful to wear blue to a funeral.
“Black is not the only color that is appropriate, but it has long been associated with appropriate funeral attire,” she said.
A Vatican insider has defended Prince William, despite the fact that royal fans don’t seem to have liked his blue suit. There are no formal dress codes for funerals listed on the Vatican’s website. “Attendees wore what they considered to be appropriate attire for such a solemn occasion,” a Vatican source told People Magazine.
The insider clarified that it was the person’s responsibility to dress in “appropriate attire” for the funeral. This implies that William did not violate any rules.
The well-known Italian national newspaper Il Messaggero also covered the funeral dress at the same time, citing Vatican protocol.
Men should wear a dark suit with a long black tie and a button of the same color on the jacket’s left lapel, which is reserved for Vatican honors. Women should wear a long, preferably black dress that matches their gloves and head veil. A string of pearls is the only acceptable decoration.
In the past, members of the royal family have attended funerals in blue suits.
According to established protocol manuals that specify the seating arrangements for dignitaries and heads of state, these are the guidelines for attendees of the Pope’s funeral, it goes on.
Although it may seem that royals always wear black to funerals, a quick look back three years shows that blue has been worn in a number of instances.
In November 2023, Prince William wore a similar blue suit to the funeral of Sir Bobby Charlton, the football legend for Manchester United and England. Furthermore, Prince George, William and Kate Middleton’s eldest son, wore a navy suit with a white shirt and black tie, just like his father did for Pope Francis’ funeral, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away.
For centuries, the Royal Family and religion have coexisted. Although previous and possibly current British monarchs may have been more religious, William is not one of the royal family’s known members of the Church of England.
Prince William’s “wake-up” call: Pope Francis’ funeral
Alexander Larman, Royal Historian, told GB News that the Prince of Wales has never shown any interest in religion. William might consider it a “wake-up call” that King Charles sent his son to the pope’s funeral.
William’s presence is intriguing because, despite never having made a public statement or interview regarding his religious beliefs, there has been much debate about whether Prince William is even interested in religion. Additionally, we are aware of his father’s strong religious beliefs,” Larman stated. “And I have no doubt that the King himself wishes he had been present to honor this significant figure and his friend.”
He is clearly an Anglican and not a Catholic, having been baptized in the Church of England, but he has never expressed any interest in religion. He has never displayed any form of religious expression or similar behavior.
“And most people who know him say he doesn’t have any particular religious faith,” the Royal Historian concluded. “This might be something of a wake-up call that might actually be an opportunity for him to think, ‘I see how important religion is to people, I see that this is not just an expression of leisure activity which has this huge, important value’, which is more than just symbolic.”