On May 18, Pope, Leo XIV was inaugurated as the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis in April. Although King Charles did not attend Pope Francis‘s funeral, Prince William did stand in as the representative for the British royal family at the time. And once again, there was a different member of the royal family at the coronation of the new pope.
Prince Edward, King Charles’ youngest brother stood in for the monarch on May 18, joining other dignitaries at the ceremony where the 267th Pope was inaugurated, according to People Magazine. Of course, there were other members of the British delegation in attendance as well, including the foreign secretary David Lammy, as well as the British deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
Prince Edward attended the coronation of Pope Leo XIV on May 18
For those familiar with the royal family, you likely already know that Prince Edward is a senior working royal. The Duke of Edinburgh has taken on Royal duties for years now. And this is especially true since his brother became the king. So it really comes as no surprise that he was the Royal representative for the coronation of a new pope.
Confirmation that Prince Edward would be representing the king at this ceremony was announced on May 10 by Buckingham Palace and came following a message from the king congratulating the new pope on his election to office.
Much like when Prince William represented the king at Pope Francis‘s funeral, Prince Edward was not accompanied by his wife. Instead, both Royals were solo in their working endeavors.
We appreciate the fact that the royal family made sure someone was in attendance at the coronation of the new pope. And we definitely find it interesting that it was Prince Edward who stepped up and stepped in.
Having Prince Edward stand in for the king is a reminder that he is a well respected member of the family and he is trusted with high-level engagements. All things considered, we appreciate the fact that Prince Edward undertook such an important international engagement. At the same time we are interested to see what other events and ceremonies he takes part in over the next few years as a representative of King Charles.