Numerous world leaders and royals gathered in Rome on the morning of Saturday, April 26, 2025, for the funeral of the late Pope Francis.
Among the most prominent figures at the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square were Prince William, the United States President, Donald Trump, and his predecessor, Mr. Joe Biden.
Other were Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Also on the list was Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Their attendance comes at a fragile time for international diplomacy.
Just before the before the funeral service, President Trump and President Zelensky had a quick two aside to discuss the ongoing war with Russia.
How they sat
Trump was in a front-row seat near Francis’ coffin, alongside his wife Melania Trump, across the aisle from Macron and his wife Brigitte.
Intriguingly, he and First Lady Melania were sitting between two staunch supporters of Ukraine.
Estonia’s President Alar Karis was to Melania’s left, and Finland’s Alexander Stubb to Trump’s right.
The seating plan
The VIPs were in a separate section from the hundreds of thousands of members of the public who have descended on Rome for the event.
Dignitaries were sitting on the the right-hand side of the square, next to St Peter’s Basilica.
According to the BBC, those with the best seats were Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, representing the country that surrounds the Vatican City state.
Another well-seated VIP was Javier Milei, the president of late Pope Francis’ native Argentina.
Behind them were reigning sovereigns, and other delegations were seated in alphabetical order in French, on other benches.
French, the BBC reports, is the official language of diplomacy,
Representing British royalty, the Prince of Wales was sitting next to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz several rows back from the front, and some distance away from Starmer.
Starmer himself sat in the fifth row with his wife Victoria.
Behind the British leader was the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Former US President Joe Biden was seen hand in hand with his wife Jill. He was sitting four rows behind Trump.
European leaders and royalty
Many European leaders, as well as royalty from European countries, were in attendance.
The Macrons watched the service closely from their front row position, and the French president shook hands with Trump.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was at the proceedings, and was seen chatting with Macron.
Other political figures and royals attending the Pope’s funeral included:
1. Poland President Andrzej Duda
2. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader
3. Belgium King Philippe and Queen Mathilde
4. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
5. Croatia President Zoran Milanovic
6. Ecuador President Daniel Noboa
7. Ireland Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin
8. Moldova President Maia Sandu
9. Latvia President Edgars Rinkevics
10. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
11. Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
12. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
13. Queen Mary of Denmark
14. Jordan King Abdullah II and Queen Rania
15. Hungary President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban
16. European Council President Antonio Costa
Pope Francis passed on at the age of 88, on April 21, 2025, in his residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City.
His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Carmalengo of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died of stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiac arrest.
He had been suffering from various health issues, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and knee pain.
These had limited his mobility and required him to use a wheelchair since 2022.
in the days leading up to his death, Pope Francis’ health had deteriorated significantly.
He was hospitalized for five weeks prior to his passing due to a respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia.
On April 21, 2025, at 5:30 CEST, he made a final farewell gesture to his nurse and lost consciousness.
Despite medical attention, his condition was deemed fatal, and he passed away at 07:35 CEST.
