Heir of respect

Prince William to represent King in Rome as Francis is laid to rest

- MATTHEW YOUNG

PRINCE William will join world leaders and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis.

Kensington Palace yesterday announced the Prince of Wales is to represent his father King Charles, who visited the pontiff earlier this month.

Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and France's Emmanuel Macron will also be at the service in Vatican City, expected to be watched by millions on television globally.

The Prime Minister yesterday reiterated his praise for Francis, who he called a champion of the “downtrodden and forgotten” after his death at 88 was announced on Monday.