King Charles and Prince William to miss Pope Leo’s inauguration – see which royal is attending

King Charles and Prince William will not attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV next Sunday Buckingham Palace has said.

Instead, Charles’ younger brother will travel to the Vatican to attend Pope Leo XIV’s formal installation as pope at a mass in St Peter’s Square on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke of Edinburgh will represent His Majesty at the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.”

The new pope’s inauguration mass will be taking place 10 days after he was elected on Thursday. Whilst there is no rule dictating how much time should pass between the conclusion of a conclave and the papal inauguration Mass, the most recent time gap is significant.

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Pope Francis was elected as Pope on 13 March 2013, he was inaugurated just six days later.

The Palace has not given a reason as to why the King nor Prince William will miss the occasion.

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The Duke of Edinburgh won’t be the first royal to stand-in for His Majesty with matters relating to those at the Vatican. 

Royal stand-in

Just two weeks ago, Prince William flew over to Rome to represent the British royal family at the late Pope Francis’ funeral. 

This is a common protocol for British royals, Charles had represented his late mother, the Queen, at John Paul’s funeral in 2005. 

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The future King was praised for his impeccable composure at the sad event, with royal fans calling it a “perfect king” moment.

William joined royals and world leaders from around the globe.

Before taking his seat, William paid his respects at the late Pope’s sealed coffin, standing alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

William’s attendance at the funeral will be seen as a major milestone in his role as a global statesman and future king.

Other monarchs who didn’t attend the funeral were King Frederik, who was represented by his wife Queen Mary, King Harald and Queen Sonja, who were represented by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.