King Charles and Prince William Won't Attend Pope Leo XIV's Inauguration — Here's Who Buckingham Palace Is Sending Instead
Instead, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, will represent His Majesty at the Vatican City ceremony on May 18, in line with previous royal tradition
The King did, however, send well wishes to the newly elected pontiff on his and Queen Camilla's behalfKing Charles and Prince William will not attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. Instead, Buckingham Palace is sending someone else: Prince Edward.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 61, will represent His Majesty at the inauguration, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirms to PEOPLE. The ceremony will be held on May 18 in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City, according to Vatican News.
The King, 76, has already sent well wishes to the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and first-ever American pontiff.
According to Buckingham Palace, the British monarch sent a private message congratulating the pope on his and Queen Camilla's behalf, Hello! Magazine and The Daily Mail reported.
Edward — who King Charles named as the new Duke of Edinburgh back in 2023 — will be the latest royal to represent the King, his older brother, in the Vatican.
In April, William, 42, attended the late Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City, a duty that typically falls on the heir to the throne. The prince represented the British royal family and the King at the April 26 ceremony, which was also attended by other royals, foreign dignitaries and religious leaders.
As heir, Charles previously represented his mother, Queen Elizabeth, at the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II. (That funeral even forced the royal to push back his wedding to Camilla by one day, so he and others could attend.)
Meanwhile, the late Queen Elizabeth never attended a funeral service for a pope, despite the fact that four — Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul I — died during her 70-year reign. No one from the British royal family attended the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
As for previous papal inaugurations, Francis' 2013 ceremony was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The late Prince Philip, meanwhile, represented the Queen at the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI back in 2005.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The King shared a message following Pope Francis' death on April 21, just a few weeks after he and Camilla met with the late leader on April 9. (Their initial visit was postponed due to the pope's health at the time.)
'My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,' the monarch said of himself and Camilla, via Buckingham Palace. 'Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.'
'His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,' King Charles continued his tribute. 'His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.'
Recalling his numerous visits to Pope Francis throughout the years, the monarch added, 'We were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.'
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
From Justin Timberlake's lackluster performance to Coldplay's 'kiss cam' scandal, concerts are making headlines this summer — but not for the music
Timberlake fans waited in the rain — and then accused the singer of giving a "soulless" performance. Each year, millions of people purchase tickets to see their favorite artists live in concert — and that number is only growing. And while Taylor Swift may not currently be performing, following the end of her nearly two-year Eras Tour, other stars, such as Beyoncé and Coldplay, are filling in the gap, attracting massive crowds and making headlines. But several recent concerts have made waves this summer for reasons unrelated to the music. In fact, some of the biggest pop culture moments of the season so far have taken place at concerts, from a major 'kiss cam' scandal to a pop star who doesn't appear to be singing much. Justin Timberlake gets called out for not singing Justin Timberlake has been known for his vocal range since his NSync days, which is why many fans were surprised to find that, during his recent world tour, he didn't seem to be singing all that much. Multiple videos posted on social media this month from different shows across the tour show the 'SexyBack' artist singing a few bars before holding out the mic for the audience to take the rest of a verse. During a July 17 performance at Transylvania's Electric Castle festival, fans who waited in the rain for JT later accused him of giving a middling performance. In an Instagram post, Timberlake thanked fans for attending the 'wild show' and 'rockin' with me in the rain,' but many fans expressed their disappointment in the comments. 'Not THAT wild of a show … and I'm a huge fan,' one wrote. 'The delay I got, I accepted it, but the part with you not singing even your most famous verses.. nope, I did not. Us in the crowd wanted to hear you sing the songs we played at home over and over again and danced on so many times, but unfortunately you did not deliver this time.' Another commenter wrote that they bought tickets to the festival just for Timberlake and 'waited patiently' for the show to start even after a 'big delay.' However, they wrote, 'something happened.' 'You did not click with the crowd, the show felt soulless and bored, ended abruptly and earlier,' the commenter continued. 'It was disrespectful towards the many thousands of people waiting for you. Too bad, could have been a nice evening.' Still, others defended Timberlake, arguing that it seemed clear — at least at the Electric Castle festival performance — that the Social Network actor was under the weather. Katy Perry almost falls out of the air midsong Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour has been endlessly memed on social media, with fans both delighted and baffled by the futuristic-themed spectacle. Some have called it 'messy, while others have found the show emblematic of the campy charm Perry is known for. But Perry's performance of 'Roar' during her July 18 concert in San Francisco inspired genuine fear from the audience when the mechanical butterfly she was hanging on to dropped unexpectedly. Perry handled the situation like a pro (and fortunately she held tight to the butterfly!), but the reactions made clear that aerial stunts are not for the faint of heart — whether you're a performer or just below one in the audience. Coldplay sparks a 'kiss cam' scandal During Coldplay's July 16 show at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, the band's frontman, Chris Martin, had some fun with the crowd while performing 'The Jumbotron Song.' When a couple showed up on the "kiss cam" and then ducked out of view immediately, Martin joked that they were either 'having an affair' or 'just very shy.' Turns out, Martin was correct. The internet did its thing and quickly discovered the identities of the people at the concert, the CEO of tech firm Astronomer, Andy Byron, and his chief people officer, Kristin Cabot. Both are married to other people. The awkward moment sparked endless memes as well as conversations about privacy in today's digital age. Beyoncé is left hanging after a concert malfunction Perry isn't the only pop star who was left dangling onstage due to a faulty prop. Beyoncé's July 28 concert in her hometown of Houston ended abruptly after the flying car prop she was seated in while singing '16 Carriages' malfunctioned, leaving her suspended and tilted in midair. After stopping the song, Beyoncé was eventually lowered and able to get out of the car safely. She even returned to finish performing the hit track from her Cowboy Carter album after a brief pause backstage. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tony Ferguson sends fiery message to critics ahead of boxing debut
Tony Ferguson is the next fighter from the MISFITS card to call in before his fight against Salt Papi. He discusses his mindset at 41, leaving the UFC, his continued interest in Khabib, Conor McGregor's issues, Dustin Poirier's send-off, and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Future Queen of Spain Glitters in a Queen Letizia-Inspired Power Suit During an Outing With Her Royal Parents
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Queen Letizia might be married to the king of Spain, but she also rules when it comes to power dressing. Like the Princess of Wales, she often steps out in tailored trouser suits at royal events, and now her daughter (and heir to the Spanish throne) Princess Leonor is following in her mom's footsteps. Leonor, known as the Princess of Asturias, glammed up a basic trouser suit while attending the Princess of Girona Awards on Wednesday, July 23. Wearing a navy Bleis Madrid blazer and matching pants woven with shimmering metallic thread, the 19-year-old future queen took the stage with King Felipe and Queen Letizia along with her 18-year-old sister, Infanta Sofía. Although the Princess of Asturias has worn suits in the past, she tends to wear dresses for royal events, making her trouser suit a businesslike departure for the royal. Along with leaning into her mom's style, Leonor also wore Queen Letizia's diamond drop earrings, wearing her hair pulled up to show off the gemstones. View Deal View Deal As for the Spanish queen, she repeated a black Mango trouser suit at the awards ceremony, pairing it with a pair of buckled black patent Sézane slingbacks. Infanta Sofía departed from the trouser suit theme, and per royal fashion blog UFO No More, she wore a one-shouldered navy jumpsuit by Spanish label The-Are. On July 24, the royal sisters delivered another suit moment, with Leonor wearing a crisp white blazer with tan linen pants and white espadrilles while meeting with winners of the Princess of Girona Awards. Meanwhile, her younger sister dressed in a collarless, robin's egg blue jacket with coordinating gauzy trousers, and Queen Letizia wore a double-breasted navy blazer for the occasion. Princess Leonor—who is balancing royal life with three years of military training—is fresh from her six-month voyage aboard Spanish Navy training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano. The princess was reunited with her family last week after traveling across the Atlantic Ocean as part of her extensive training, which will prepare her to one day be commander-in-chief of the Spanish armed forces.
