King Charles and Prince William to Skip Pope Leo’s Inauguration — While Another Royal Steps In

King Charles and Prince William carry out most royal duties as Head of State and heir to the throne, respectively. However, neither the King nor the Prince of Wales will attend the inauguration of the newly elected Pope Leo XVI. Instead, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, will represent the Crown at the inauguration ceremony of the new pontiff.

Edward will travel to the Vatican to attend Pope Leo XIV’s formal installation at St. Peter’s Square on May 18, as reported by Hello! magazine. While the Palace has not given a reason why Edward is stepping in, Marie Claire reports that, as Charles and William have recently traveled to the Vatican, it made sense that Edward handled the important responsibility this time.

As per The Independent, Edward and his wife, Sophie, were a part of Charles’s ‘slimmed-down’ working monarchy, introduced after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022. Since Charles was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, the Duke of Edinburgh has taken on major royal duties on the monarch's behalf. On May 9, the royal family’s official social media handle praised Edward for hosting the Gold Awards inside Buckingham Palace. Most notably, the Duke also attended US President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on 9 January, on behalf of William. As per reports, William avoids traveling abroad unless it is for an initiative he is personally involved in, as his wife recovers from cancer. Palace insiders claimed that William was also not 'keen on going' to Carter's funeral and had Edward sent instead.

After Charles's cancer diagnosis, former royal butler Grant Harrold has also echoed Edward’s importance within the royal household. As reported by the Daily Express, he revealed that with the King’s ill health, the monarch is beginning to think realistically about what’s next. He shared that this is exactly where the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh step in. He added, “She has always been very close to him and to Queen Elizabeth as well. Both Sophie and Edward have long had strong ties within the family, and the late Queen was reportedly keen for Sophie to take on a more prominent role in royal life.” The butler claimed that the workload for Edward and Duchess Sophie has grown even more challenging, given Prince Andrew and the Sussexes' exit from the Firm.

According to The Telegraph, insiders have praised the Duke for his 'inner steel,' with a former Balmoral gamekeeper claiming Edward is a 'tough bloke.' Sandy Masson, the former head stalker on the royal estate at Balmoral, also said, “Edward was easily the toughest of all the princes. Nothing was too much for him.” For the Pope’s inauguration, Edward is set to attend a mass at St. Peter’s Square with a visit to St. Peter’s tomb inside the Basilica.