Why has Prince William never met the Pope?

Prince William is among the representatives attending Pope Francis’ funeral. The royal is attending on behalf of his father, King Charles, who met the Pope shortly before his death in April, alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. Although William will be representing the British royal family at this somber occasion, he has never actually met the Pope before – but why not?  

In our latest episode of A Right Royal Podcast, hosts Andrea Caamano and Emmy Griffiths sit down with HELLO!’s Royal Editor Emily Nash to discuss why Prince William never met Pope Francis, and the reasons behind his attendance at the funeral instead of his father.

Speaking on the episode, Emily said: “It’s quite a strange concept, isn’t it, to go to the funeral of someone you’ve never met before. But I think you have to remember that this is a massive diplomatic undertaking. It’s a sign of our country’s respect for the late Pope, and it’s also about him being at the heart of international relations.”

She added: “If you look at the last two papal funerals, certainly Pope John Paul II’s, it was the then Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, who represented the Queen. The Queen never attended any papal funerals. So, this is really a continuation of recent tradition.”

Listen or watch the episode above to find out why William was unable to meet the Pope during his lifetime.