Insider Reveals Why William Refused to Attend the Pope’s Funeral Until Charles ‘Pulled Rank'

Prince William, dubbed the modern face of the British monarchy, attended Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26. Stepping in for his father, King Charles, he joined other royals and luminaries to pay his respects to the late church leader. While his appearance at the solemn event impressed many, the Prince of Wales was reportedly not too keen to attend the funeral.

Pope Francis passed away from heart failure on April 21 at the age of 88. According to a source quoted by Daily Mail Online, William was “reluctant to obey the order to go to Rome on Saturday until his father pulled rank.” As per The News International, William's refusal may have stemmed from his father's closeness to the Pope and his belief that Charles would be more willing to attend. Palace insiders also claimed that back in January, the Prince of Wales was expected to attend the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter in the USA. Then, too, they shared he 'wasn't keen on going' and had Prince Edward sent instead.

While the Prince of Wales did end up going to the Pope’s service, his Palace aides are allegedly frustrated at his reluctance to take on official duties abroad. As reported by The Scottish Express, William avoids traveling abroad unless it is for an initiative he is personally involved in. Given his wife, Kate Middleton’s, cancer treatment last year, his lack of official outings was understandable. He spent most of last year in the UK, avoiding official trips to stay close to his wife. However, critics pointed out that he still made time to attend Euro 2024 and travel to South Africa for the Earthshot Prize Awards. William, as per insiders, allegedly only likes to travel when it's a cause he's personally interested, and invested in.

Despite Charles and Queen Camilla’s good relations with the late Pope Francis, he was not allowed to attend his funeral. Royal expert Katie Nicoll revealed that the King could "not travel to the Vatican, in accordance with protocol and precedence which dictates that the Sovereign does not attend funerals.” She opined that William’s attendance on the monarch’s behalf aligns with royal tradition. Back in 2005, when Charles was Prince, he had also attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II, much like William.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers also explained why the Prince of Wales was best suited to attend the Pope’s funeral. Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show, he said, “It's absolutely correct that it would be the Prince of Wales who goes...He represented us very well at the re-consecration of Notre Dame Cathedral, and it's very good that he should go there. He might even have another chat with President Trump, who I understand is also going to be present.” The expert added that William has had to ‘step up’ a lot while ‘juggling’ family life, given his father, Charles's, battle with cancer.