Real Reason Why Prince William Broke Protocol and Wore Blue at Pope Francis’ Funeral

Prince William attended Pope Francis’s funeral on behalf of his father, King Charles, on 26 April. While the service was meant to honor the church leader, much attention turned to the fashion choices of the attendees. Notably, William opted for a navy blue suit with a black tie, breaking from Vatican tradition, which calls for all-black attire.

US President Donald Trump, Jordan’s King Abdullah, and Indian President Draupadi Murmu all opted for blue ensembles alongside William. As reported by the Irish Star, there could be a valid explanation why these leaders chose not to wear black. The outlet states that the Roman Catholic Church has deep-rooted traditions, including strict guidelines for funeral attire. Black is the traditional color for Catholic funerals, symbolizing respect for the deceased. While other faiths may not strictly require black attire, it remains accepted as appropriate funeral wear across many cultures.

William, who belongs to the Church of England, which split from the Catholic Church in 1534, may have, hence, decided to skip black. Similarly, Trump, who's a nondenominational Christian, Murmu, who's a Hindu, and Abdullah, who's Muslim, might not also skipped the memo for valid reasons. The Vatican website also does not list an official funeral dress code. A Vatican source told People magazine, “Attendees wore what they considered to be appropriate attire for such a solemn occasion.” Interestingly, in September 2022, William’s son, Prince George, also wore a navy suit with a black tie for the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Vatican protocol dictates, “For men, dark suit with a long black tie and a button of the same color on the left lapel of the jacket, where only Vatican honors can be placed. For women, a black dress, preferably long, of the same color as gloves and veil on the head, with the only allowed ornament being a string of pearls.” Some dignitaries who stuck to the dress code were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Bangladeshi Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Meanwhile, royal expert Hugo Vickers shed light on why William attended the Pope’s funeral instead of Charles. He told The Sun that it was per the royal tradition where reigning monarchs were prohibited from attending funerals. He explained, “I mean, the Pope didn't come to the Queen's funeral, as you remember, and actually, Prince Charles went to the last, not Pope Benedict, Pope John Paul II's funeral.” Vickers also believes the Prince was ‘absolutely the right guy’ for the job. He added, “We have seen him step up and be deputized in such a strong way for King Charles because obviously with the King's health battles last year.” The Prince of Wales was seated in the third row for the funeral, reserved solely for international dignitaries.