King Charles will not be attending Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration next week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The King will not attend the newly elected Pope’s ceremony in Vatican City and instead send the Duke of Edinburgh to represent him.
Prince Edward will travel to the Vatican to attend Pope Leo XIV’s formal installation as pope at a mass in St Peter’s Square on May 18.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh will represent His Majesty at the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.’
Buckingham Palace previously said the King had sent a private message congratulating the Pope on his election and passing on his and the Queen’s most sincere good wishes for his pontificate.
The decision comes after Prince William, the Prince of Wales, attended the funeral on behalf of his father.
This follows a royal precedent – when Pope John Paul II died, Charles who was then the Prince of Wales, represented the Queen at the funeral.
And in 2013, for Pope Francis’ inauguration, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended, and in 200,5 for Pope Benedict XVI’s inauguration, it was Prince Philip who represented the Queen.
Edward will travel to the Vatican to attend Pope Leo XIV’s formal installation as pope at a mass in St Peter’s Square on May 18
The King will not attend the newly elected Pope’s ceremony in Vatican City and instead send the Duke of Edinburgh to represent him
Monarchs don’t typically attend funerals of heads of state, and it normally falls on the heir to the throne to represent the Royal Family at these events.
Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new head of the Catholic Church on the second day of the conclave.
Some 133 cardinals gathered in Rome before being led into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday.
But after white smoke billowed from the chimney on Thursday, the first American pontiff, born in Chicago, emerged from St Peter’s Basilica in front of the faithful gathered at St Peter’s Square.
A Vatican spokesman confirmed the choice was a reference to Leo XIII, who was the head of the Church from 1878 and 1903.
After walking out before thousands of Catholics and to the world, he told them ‘Peace be with you’ and offered a reminder of God’s unconditional love.
Pope Leo went on to thank Francis for his work and his ‘brother cardinals’ who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter’.
He then added: ‘Together, we must try to find out how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogues.
After white smoke billowed from the chimney on Thursday, the first American pontiff, born in Chicago, emerged from St Peter’s Basilica in front of the faithful gathered at St Peter’s Square
The King represents his late mother Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral of former Pope John Paul II in 2008
Prince William was pictured arriving at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican two weeks ago minutes before the funeral service
Prince William represented his father the King and was seated next to then-German Chancellor Olaf Sholz
Speaking in English, the pontiff, who was previously known as Father Bob, then referenced his time as a missionary in South America saying: ‘I would particularly like to say hello to my compatriots from Peru.
‘That’s always open to receive, on this piazza with open arms, to be able to receive everybody that needs our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.’
Speaking in English, the pontiff, who was previously known as Father Bob, then referenced his time as a missionary in South America saying: ‘I would particularly like to say hello to my compatriots from Peru.
‘It was a great pleasure for me to work in Peru.’
Pope Leo then said: ‘Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole church.
‘And for peace throughout the world. And let’s ask for this special grace from Mary, our mother.’
Following the announcement, the brother of the new head of the Catholic Church said he was stunned to find his sibling had been the chosen one.
Louis Prevost said that when he saw the news, he felt ‘extreme joy, extreme pride… then worry as to how Robert is going to handle this because it’s a heavy weight on his shoulders.’
He also revealed that during their childhoods in Illinois with their brother John, they would joke with him about becoming pope one day – a ‘premonition’ that has now come to pass.
‘We used to tease him about being pope because he always had that holy way about him,’ he said.
‘The neighbours on the street… a lot of them used to say, ‘You’re going to grow up to be pope one day, Robert.’ Our brother? Pope? Nah. Not going to happen.’
The other brother, Louis, of Tampa in Florida, described the moment of seeing his brother become pope as ‘shock and awe’, and said, ‘to see him, it all hit home and became real.
‘It was like, ‘Oh, that’s Rob… oh my God… yay, Rob!’
Louis said his brother responded: ‘I will accept it… It’s God’s will. It’s in his hands.’
Now his brother has shot to worldwide fame, Louis said he has been left wondering ‘if we’ll actually be able to see him again and be with him.’
He said he is sure his brother is ready and ‘will do a really good job, just because he’s a man of the people.’
Louis said he speaks to his brother several times a week, but now fears their conversations may come to an end as his brother is preoccupied in the Vatican, adding: ‘Yeah, I’m the pope’s brother, but it’s hard to get in to see the pope.’