Prince William will attend Pope Francis' funeral on behalf of the British royal family

The king and his wife, Queen Camilla, held a private meeting with the pope just two weeks ago during their visit to Italy, with the appointment described by Buckingham Palace as a "very significant and special moment" and one of the highlights of their trip.

There had originally been plans for a state visit to the Vatican but they were cancelled due to Francis' ongoing health issues at the time.

In a sign of respect, flags have been flown half mast as royal residences in the UK and the king - who represented his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, at the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II when he was still Prince of Wales - wore a black tie to meetings in Windsor Castle on Tuesday (23.04.25).

The funeral of the Pope must take place between four and six days after his death, and the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday morning it will take place on 26 April.

The service will take place outdoors in front of St Peter's Basilica at 10:00 local time and will be led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.

Since the announcement was made, the Vatican has released images of Pope Francis in an open casket dressed in red robes in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, which served as his home during his 12-year papacy.

Francis will become the first Pope in more than half a century to not be buried in the crypt of St Peter's Basilica within the Vatican, in accordance with his wishes, and will instead be laid to rest in Rome's Basilica of St Mary Major.

Francis' final testament, which has been released by the Vatican, stated he wished to break with tradition and be buried in Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major and "without particular decoration", and that his resting place bore the inscription Franciscus, his papal name in Latin.

He had written: "As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.

"Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest - awaiting the day of the Resurrection - in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

"I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.#

"I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.

"The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

"The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

"May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples."