At the funeral of Pope Francis today, Prince William sat with other world leaders three rows back while other royals sat closer to the front.
Prince William represented his father King Charles at the funeral of Pope Francis today rubbing shoulders with other world leaders. The Prince of Wales arrived in Rome this morning and took his seat for the funeral mass of the Pontiff among hundreds of other dignitaries in St Peter’s Square.
William, dressed in a dark suit, sat in the third row in the section reserved for world leaders. It meant he was separated from other European royalty such as King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Mary of Denmark who were seated in the front row, along with US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania.
However, it appears that William was seated further back than some of his royal counterparts because the seating arrangement for international leaders at Pope Francis’ funeral was a delicate diplomatic move.
READ MORE: Pope Francis funeral: World leaders to attend revealed by Vatican – full list
Francis’s birth country, Argentina, took precedence in the seating arrangements. Argentina’s delegation included President Javier Milei, who was a vocal critic of the Pope before he became the nation’s head of state.
Italy acquiesced as the pope presided over the country’s catholic bishops and bishops. Following that, reigning sovereigns were seated “in alphabetical order, but in the French language,” followed by heads of state and later heads of government, such as the UK Prime Minister, and other representatives.
Because it is regarded as the language of diplomacy, French is used in the seating arrangements because it also alters the order of precedence that an English speaker might anticipate. Trump, for instance, has a relatively early start in the race because the United States is referred to as “Etats-Unis d’Amerique,” which gave him a front row seat.
William and the British Government delegation are ahead of both of the UK’s representatives. This is because it is led by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, whose title has a higher position than William, who is listed as a crown prince further down the list.
The British Government delegation includes Sir Keir Starmer, his wife Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy. It is listed between groups from Qatar and Serbia, led by those countries’ heads of government.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, has described the seating plan as a “master plan” for managing the “big egos” of world leaders. The funeral directors are well-versed in handling the emotions of such big events, according to Cardinal Nichols, who will hold his first conclave to choose a new pope in the upcoming weeks.
He claimed in an interview in Rome that the funeral would be “without a doubt another masterpiece of stage management” when taken into account those state leaders who have high opinions about their significance. He continued, “I’ve seen it here and there repeatedly that Rome and the Holy See are geniuses at handling these big events.”
Despite William meeting the Holy Father just 12 days before his death during a state visit to Italy, many people have also wondered why he didn’t meet Pope Francis and instead attended the funeral.
However, the decision is in line with contemporary custom, which dictates that the monarch’s heir to the throne is pictured at funerals and other occasions. For instance, Charles, Prince of Wales, attended Pope John Paul II’s 2005 funeral in honor of his late mother, the late Queen. According to Kensington Palace, the government’s decision to hold a funeral for William Pope was made following that advice.
The prince will be able to celebrate William’s leadership as a global statesman and future king for the first time by attending an international funeral for the monarch. William and Donald Trump met at the official reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in December of last year as a result of their legal battle.
Pope Francis passed away on Monday morning after suffering a heart attack and a stroke. Throughout the world, tributes have poured in from all over the world. The King praised Pope Francis’ compassion and unwavering support for the common good of all people of faith as well as his “most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy.”
Source: Mirror
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