Prince William honours Pope Francis in sombre tribute at funeral

Prince William arrived at the Vatican on Saturday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, who died in the Easter Monday morning after a stroke and a heart failure after prolonged illness.

The Prince of Wales, who is representing King Charles for the sombre ceremony, was dressed in navy blue suit, with a black tie – a sign of mourning.

During the tributes, William was joined by President Emmanuel Macron, as they stood by the late pope’s coffin. The two paid their respects by bowing their heads and then slowly returning to their designated spot.

The future king of the British throne will be seated in the second pew for the ceremony, which is reserved for non-Catholic royals. William is sat with Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

Over 200 thousand people and some 170 delegations have gathered in front of St Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the Argentinian pontiff, who was suffering from double pneumonia and a complex lung infection.

Just less than two weeks before his death, the late pope had hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for a brief 20-minute audience and gave his blessing to the royal couple on their 20th anniversary.

Following the sad news about the pope, Charles had penned an emotional condolence letter expressing his “deep sadness” over the news.