Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will be among many world leaders and heads of state who are attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that the funeral for the Pope would take place at 10:00 on Saturday 26 April in St. Peter's Square in Rome. According to Vatican rules, the funeral must take place between the fourth and sixth day after the Pope's death.
On Tuesday, the Belgian Royals expressed their "great sadness" about the Pope's death and confirmed they would be attending his funeral. "He was a great man, close to the most vulnerable and concerned about the problems of the world."
Nous partageons le deuil de tous les catholiques dans le monde et de tous ceux qui l’ont aimé et apprécié. Nous exprimons aussi notre gratitude pour l’honneur qu’il nous a fait en visitant notre pays.
Philippe et Mathilde pic.twitter.com/XABTbcGTNc — Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) April 21, 2025
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde met Pope Francis several times. In September last year, the Pope visited Belgium. In their message, the King and Queen thanked him for "the honour he has done us by visiting our country."
Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) will also attend the funeral, his spokesperson confirmed to Belga News Agency.
Pope Francis' body was transferred to St. Peter's Basilica at 09:00 on Wednesday, giving the public a final chance to say goodbye. The Pope is currently lying in state in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, where he has lived for the past 12 years. He never moved into the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.
As was his wish, the Pope will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore – breaking with tradition, as popes are normally buried in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Seven other popes have also been buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, but the last one who chose to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669.
'Privilege' of knowing him
In addition to the Belgian Royals and the Prime Minister, many other high-ranking people will attend the funeral.
On the day of the Pope's death – before a date for the funeral was even announced – US President Donald Trump announced that he and the First Lady would be present. "Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there!"
French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, he said during a press conference earlier this week. "We will be at the funeral of the pope, as we should be."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend Saturday's funeral as well, and has reportedly cancelled a visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for it. In a statement paying tribute to Pope Francis, Meloni said that she "had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
The list of world leaders and dignitaries who will descend on St. Peter's Basilica for the funeral service has continued to grow over the last few days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife will also travel to the Italian capital.
Zelenskyy had already honoured the pope on Monday on social media, saying that he "knew how to give hope, to alleviate suffering through prayers and to promote unity. He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians."
Additionally, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay their last respects to Francis together.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also attend the funeral, as will Prince William. He will represent British King Charles, who will not be in attendance as he is suffering from temporary side effects of his cancer treatment.
King's Day
Representing Ireland, President Michael D. Higgins will be present at the funeral, alongside Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Micheál Martin.
The Spanish royal couple, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, will also be there. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will reportedly not be attending the service, although he has yet to publicly confirm this.
The Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof and his Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp will attend on behalf of the Dutch Government on Saturday. Meanwhile, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will not attend the funeral as they (and their family) will celebrate King's Day, as previously planned.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Argentinian President Javier Milei and Polish President Andrzej Duda will be present.
From left to right: Donald Tusk (Polish Prime Minister), António Costa (President of the European Council), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission). Credit: European Union
Additionally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will travel to Rome, their spokespeople announced on Tuesday.
In an initial reaction, von der Leyen praised Francis' "humility and pure love for the less fortunate." His legacy "will continue to guide us towards a more just, peaceful and compassionate world." Costa praised the Pope as a man who cared about major global challenges such as migration, climate change, inequality and peace.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres paid his respects to the late Pope after his passing. He is also expected to be in attendance at the funeral, according to Reuters.
Groups of poor people
Importantly, a "group of poor people" will also be present at the express invitation of the Vatican. "The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God," the Vatican recalled a motto of the late pope. Therefore, a "group of poor and needy people will be present on the steps of the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore to pay their last respects to Francis."
From Sunday morning, the pontiff's grave in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore will be open to the public, said the director of the Vatican press office.
After the funeral, the coffin will be transferred to the Papal Basilica on Saturday afternoon. So far, tens of thousands of believers have already paid their last respects to the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica. Due to the long queues, the Basilica remained open all night from Wednesday to Thursday.
