Prince William pays respects to Pope Francis on behalf of King Charles at historic funeral

The Prince of Wales has on behalf of the King, as he gathered with leaders for the historic funeral in St Peter's Square.

, side by side with Prime Minister Sir , stood for a moment's silence in front of Pope Francis' sealed wooden and zinc coffin in its place before the altar in St Peter's Basilica. The prince, with his hands clasped, solemnly bowed his head as he stood in reflection ahead of the funeral Mass.

Dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie, William then walked through the ornate basilica and down the steps into St Peter's Square, before shaking hands with a member of the clergy and being guided to his seat. He was carrying out his most significant duty so far as heir to the throne as he made the solo journey to the Vatican on Saturday.

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It is the first time the prince has represented the monarch at an international funeral. William spoke briefly to US President and First Lady in the basilica on his way to the service.

He also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron ahead of the Mass. William was seated in the third row, and placed seemingly unexpectedly next to the German chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The prince, a non-Catholic heir to the throne, had been expected to sit alongside fellow heir apparent, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who was accompanied by his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit. But this element of the delicately arranged diplomacy of the previously announced seating plan – in order of precedence and alphabetically in French – appeared not to have been followed.

The prince was seen reading the order of service booklet containing an English translation during the ceremony. In the row in front of William were Jordan’s King Abdullah and Queen Rania.

Some 55 heads of state, 14 heads of government and 12 reigning monarchs joined mourners for the open-air service in front of St Peter’s Basilica. The US and French presidents and their wives were among those who, like William and Starmer, paused in front of the Pope’s coffin to pay their respects.

William made the journey on behalf of Charles, head of the Church of England, in honour of Pope Francis, who was head of the Roman Catholic Church. The decision for William, a future Supreme Governor of the Anglican church, to represent his father is in keeping with modern tradition and protocol, with Charles as the Prince of Wales attending Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005 on behalf of Elizabeth II.

It marks a major milestone in William's role as a global statesman and future king. A complex security operation is in place around the Vatican as hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Vatican City.

The Prince and 's official social media accounts later posted: "Today we remember and celebrate the life of Pope Francis." Kensington Palace also included a repost of Vatican footage showing key moments of the day’s proceedings.