King Charles to skip Pope's funeral due to late Queen Elizabeth's rule
King Charles is set to skip the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City, despite their close relationship.
Instead, Prince William will represent the monarch at the service for Pope, who died aged 88 after a stroke on April 21.
However, there is a unusual reason behind King Charles absence and it dates back to his mother, Queen Elizabeth's era.
The decision is rooted in a precedent set by the late Queen as she never attended the funeral of a pontiff as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2005, Charles, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, went to Pope John Paul II's funeral on behalf of his mother.
Prince William's attendance at the funeral will be seen as a major milestone in his role as a global statesman and future king as British monarchs also plays the role of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Last year, Royal author Robert Hardman wrote that as per a key Palace figure, William "very much respects the institutions", but he is "not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment".
King Charles' relationship with Pope Francis:
Although King Charles won't attend the funeral, he had a close relationship with Pope Francis.
The monarch had met Pope on three occasions, with the most recent was just 12 days before his death during Charles and Camilla's state visit to Italy.
"Their Majesties both came away feeling that it had been a very significant and special moment,” a senior palace official said of their meeting.
The King and Queen also took to their Instagram account on Monday to pay a touching tribute to the pontiff after his sudden demise.
