Crucial royal rule preventing King Charles from attending Pope Francis' funeral
The Prince of Wales is going in his placeKing Charles is not allowed to travel to the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, and the reason is down to an old royal tradition.
The monarch, who met with the Pope earlier this month with wife Queen Camilla, is not able to attend the service.
Buckingham Palace has now clarified why King Charles is not attending Pope Francis’ funeral after it was confirmed his son Prince William will be taking his place.
Why is King Charles not attending Pope Francis’ funeral?
The 76-year-old said he was “deeply saddened” following the news of the Pope’s death on Monday.
In a statement, King Charles said although he and wife Camilla had “heavy hearts” with sorrow, they were “somewhat eased” by Pope Francis being able to share an Easter greeting on Sunday before he died.
Pope Francis was 88 years old and had been suffering with health issues for a number of months.
Buckingham Palace has explained the reason why King Charles is not allowed to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, citing that it’s due to an old royal rule preventing the monarch.
They said he “will not travel to the Vatican, in accordance with protocol and precedence which dictates that the Sovereign does not attend funerals”.
It comes after Kensington Palace revealed on Tuesday that Prince William would represent the king and the royal family at the funeral on Saturday.
The heir to the British throne will attend the service at the Vatican on the weekend on ‘behalf’ of King Charles, the palace explained via Vanity Fair.
Charles represented the late Queen at Pope John Paul II’s funeral
The king, when he was the Prince of Wales, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
He actually postponed his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles to attend the service in Rome. The royal changed his wedding date to the following day in order to pay his respects, as well as other guests who would have attended the funeral due to the clash.
At the time, Tony Blair also became the first UK Prime Minister of the country to attend the funeral of a pontiff.
A statement at the time read: “As a mark of respect, His Royal Highness and Mrs Parker Bowles have decided to postpone their wedding until Saturday.”
View this post on Instagram
Monarch’s tribute
On Monday, King Charles paid tribute to Pope Francis ahead of his funeral. He said: “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.
“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.”
He said he and Queen Camilla “remember with particular affection” their meetings with the Pope over the years and “were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month”.
Read more: Queen Camilla shares new health update on King Charles as she admits ‘problem’
Charles and Camilla’s meeting during Italy state visit
Last month there were fears the planned royal visit with Pope Francis would be cancelled due to his ailing health. Ahead of their state trip to Italy, the palace announced the sad news that it had been cancelled as His Holiness recovered.
However, in a surprise twist, the Pope was able to meet both Charles and Camilla and it took place on the date of their wedding anniversary.
During the private meeting, the pontiff wished them a happy anniversary as they celebrated 20 years together.
What do you think of the royal rule preventing King Charles from attending Pope Francis’ funeral? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @RoyalInsiderOfficial.
