London, UK - Prince William will represent Britain's royal family at the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, Kensington Palace said Tuesday.

The heir to the throne will attend the service "on behalf" of King Charles III, the palace said, in a decision in keeping with modern tradition.

Charles, when he was Prince of Wales, represented his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005.

Elizabeth never attended the funeral of a pontiff during her reign from 1952 to 2022.

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The British monarch is head of the Church of England, the mother church of global Anglicanism.

British media said William's attendance at the funeral will be seen as a major milestone in his role as a global statesman and future king.

Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, met Pope Francis for 20 minutes during the royal couple's state visit to Italy earlier this month.

Charles (76) began treatment in February 2024 for an unnamed cancer and was recently briefly admitted to the hospital after experiencing side effects.

Along with the Prince of Wales, the Pope's funeral will welcome a number of other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.