Palace JUST Given the Latest Update On William & Catherine “‘We’re Deeply Saddened To Announce…”
In the latest news from Kensington Palace, Prince William, the heir to the British throne as the eldest son of King Charles III, will travel to Vatican City over the weekend to represent the British royal family at the funeral of Pope Francis.
The leader of the Catholic Church will be laid to rest on Saturday, April 26th in a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries, religious leaders, royalty, and more. Pope Francis will be buried on Saturday after lying in state for 3 days in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Similarly, Charles attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 when he was heir to the throne representing Queen Elizabeth. In fact, the Pope’s funeral pushed back his wedding to Queen Camila by one day so he and others could attend.
No one from the British royal family attended the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI because he had already retired as head of the Catholic Church. He was not granted a state funeral. Queen Elizabeth II never attended the funeral of a pontiff, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The announcement of Prince William’s attendance at the funeral is the latest instance of the Prince of Wales taking over more senior royal duties as heir. He similarly represented the British monarchy at the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on December 7, attending alongside world leaders such as President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and more.
Meanwhile, the ongoing treatment of his father puts the king in uncharted waters given that the royal family has not dealt with an ongoing medical situation as such. Charles dialed back his royal appearances last year, but once he received the go-ahead from his doctors, he resumed full royal duties. It’s unclear whether he plans to slow down anytime soon.
King Charles III, who just met privately with Pope Francis less than two weeks ago alongside his wife, Queen Camila, released an emotional statement to pay tribute to the late Pontiff. Despite the pontiff’s recent health challenges, including hospitalization for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, he personally requested the meeting, a gesture that made a lasting impression on the royal couple.
A palace official shared further insights, explaining how the audience came about unexpectedly due to the Pope’s condition fluctuating in the days leading up to the visit. But when the Pope asked if he could see the King and Queen, their Majesties were clearly very pleased. After all, they have known him over many years and, with the rest of the world, have been praying for his recovery, said the senior palace aide.
Prior to their meeting just 12 days ago, the King had previously met with Pope Francis in 2019 and, prior to that, met him with Camila in 2017. When Charles and Camila visited the Vatican, during that visit, Charles presented him with gifts from his country home, Highgrove.
According to Town & Country, the Pope said to the future king, who was then the Prince of Wales, during that meeting, “Wherever you go, may you be a man of peace.” To which Charles replied poignantly, “I’ll do my best.”
Charles and Camila’s visit with the Pope lasted about less than half an hour, during which time he exchanged wedding anniversary presents with the King and Queen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales seemingly followed in the footsteps of King Charles and Queen Camila to mark a special day. For the unversed, this couple is set to celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29th.
The royal couple will celebrate their big day during a two-day trip to Scotland which was recently announced by Kensington Palace. As reported, the future King and Queen will visit the town of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull on their wedding anniversary, where they are expected to meet the local community hub and tour an artisan market.
Now, it has been said that the senior royals are setting a new tradition of marking their delightful milestones on foreign trips. The royal couple’s visit to Scotland will mark the couple’s first two-day work trip since Catherine was diagnosed with cancer at the start of the year.
