Prince William was reportedly “reluctant to obey” his father King Charles’ request to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.
The funeral will be held in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, April 26. Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after struggling with double pneumonia.
Although the Prince of Wales, 42, will represent the King at the ceremony, sources say he was “reluctant” to go at first.
Prince William ‘reluctant to obey’ King Charles’ order over Pope Francis funeral
According to an article from MailOnline, insiders said the prince was “reluctant to obey the order to go to Rome on Saturday until his father pulled rank.”
Earlier this week, Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William would represent King Charles at the Pope’s funeral.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday (April 21), just hours after he appeared in public to give an Easter blessing at St. Peter’s Square the day before.
King Charles paid tribute to the Pope on Monday, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the news.
Why King Charles isn’t attending the Pope’s funeral
Even though he met with the Pope earlier this month, the King won’t be going to the funeral.
An old royal tradition stops him from traveling to the Vatican for the ceremony.
Buckingham Palace explained that King Charles isn’t allowed to attend the Pope’s funeral because of long-standing royal rules.
They said he “will not travel to the Vatican, in accordance with protocol and precedence which dictates that the Sovereign does not attend funerals”.
The same rule was followed in 2005, when Prince Charles went to Pope John Paul II’s funeral on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles’ tribute to Pope Franci
On Easter Monday, Charles shared a message after hearing about the Pope’s passing. He said that he and Queen Camilla were “deeply saddened” by the news.
His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion.
He added: “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.
“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.”
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