Prince William has been defended by royal supporters after he wore a navy blue suit to Pope Francis’ funeral over the weekend.
The 42-year-old Prince of Wales attended the funeral on behalf of the royal family, which was held in Rome on Saturday (April 26).
Prince William Attends Pope Francis’ Funeral
On Saturday, Prince William joined a number of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at Pope Francis’ funeral.
Around 250,000 people were reported to have attended the service.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, after serving as Pope since 2013.
The Prince of Wales was seated several rows back, near German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and was some distance away from the UK Prime Minister.
Most people at the funeral wore black suits, but Prince William stood out by choosing a dark navy blue suit instead.
Donald Trump faced criticism for wearing a blue suit, and soon after, people also pointed out that Prince William was dressed in a similar color.
Why did Prince William wear a navy suit to Pope’s funeral?
Prince William chose to wear a navy suit to the Pope’s funeral because it matched the dress code set by the Vatican. Many other guests were also seen wearing blue suits.
Still, there was some criticism online. One user on X said: “I guess Prince William doesn’t understand protocol either… smh. He was wearing a blue suit also.”
Another person commented: “Who wears blue to a Pope’s funeral?”
However, many royal fans were quick to defend him, pointing out that Prince William didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, he was sticking to the rules.
As one fan explained, the prince was following the dress code recommended by the Vatican.
According to the Vatican, the funeral dress code “requires men to wear a dark suit with a long black tie and a button of the same colour on the left lapel of the jacket, where only Vatican honours can be placed”. It also says that attendees are “allowed to wear white shirts”.
So, William’s choice of outfit was completely appropriate and fully respected the guidelines.
William ‘reluctant’ to attend Pope’s funeral
Even though he eventually went, the Prince of Wales was reportedly “reluctant” to follow his father’s orders and attend the funeral on his behalf.
King Charles wasn’t able to go to the funeral himself because of an old royal tradition.
Buckingham Palace explained that the king “will not travel to the Vatican, in accordance with protocol and precedence which dictates that the Sovereign does not attend funerals.”
The same rule was observed back in 2005 when Charles went to Pope John Paul II’s funeral in place of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
According to the MailOnline, Prince William was “reluctant to obey the order to go to Rome on Saturday until his father pulled rank”.
After the Pope passed away on Easter Monday (April 21), Charles shared a heartfelt tribute.
“Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry,” he said.
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith. And to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.”
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