The Prince of Wales and Sir Keir Starmer will be among world leaders and dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope Francis this weekend.
The funeral will be held at St. Peter's Basilica after his death aged 88 of a stroke and heart failure, the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday.
Cardinals met in the Vatican at 8am before announcing the funeral will take place at 10am (9am BST).
The meetings marked the first in a series of “general congregations”, where decisions will be made on when the Pope’s body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica before his burial so that mourners can pay their respect.
Francis died on Monday after a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican has confirmed. He had resumed some official duties earlier this month during his recovery from double pneumonia.
New details emerged on Tuesday of the Pope’s final hours, with Vatican sources telling Sky News that on Monday morning, the Pope woke up at around 6am and was fine for at least one hour.
But at around 7am, the Vatican's medical unit received an emergency call from his Casa Santa Marta apartment.
Vatican officials considered an urgent transfer to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome and police sources have confirmed they got an urgent police escort request from the Vatican after 7am.
But with the quick deterioration of the Pope's condition, the police escort request was cancelled by the Vatican officials before 7.35am, Sky reported.
“Grazie,” or “Thank you,” was among the pope’s final words, according to Vatican state media. He addressed them to Massimiliano Strappetti, the Vatican nurse who had served as his personal health assistant since 2022.
“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” Francis told Strappetti, who had encouraged him to greet the crowd from the popemobile on Easter Sunday following the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing, the Catholic News Agency reported.
The first pictures of Pope Francis in his open coffin were released on Tuesday morning, showing his body in a wooden casket, in red vestments and his bishop's miter, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived.
Cardinals also decided that the public viewing of Pope Francis will begin Wednesday in St. Peter's Basilica, after his casket is taken by procession from the Vatican hotel where he lived. Thousands of people were amassing on Tuesday to pay their respects.
Heir to the throne William, a future head of the Church of England, will attend on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace said on Tuesday afternoon. It said the decision followed Government advice.
William, a future head of the Church of England, did not meet Pope Francis.
Downing Street confirmed the attendance at the funeral of the Prime Minister, who will also join other leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump, who had already said on social media that he and his wife Melania plan to attend the funeral.
Sir Keir said the "outpouring of grief" following Francis's death reflects the "high esteem" in which the Pope was held "not just by millions and millions of Catholics, but by many others across the world, myself included".
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the PM said the Pope was "a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy".
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it's "right, like other world leaders are, that he (Sir Keir) pays tribute to his life and attends his funeral".
Planning has also begun for the conclave to elect Francis’ successor as well as other key decisions about how the Catholic Church will be run.
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, on Monday announced the Pope died at 7.35am on Monday morning, describing how "his entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church".
"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised,” Farrell said in the announcement.
"With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune."
The leader of the world's Roman Catholics was described by the King, who he had met in recent weeks, as someone who had "profoundly touched the lives of so many", while Sir Keir said Francis had been "a Pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten".
Downing Street confirmed Sir Keir will attend the Pope’s funeral.
At a mass in London in the Pope's honour on Monday evening, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales said while there is a "sadness of loss", there remains a "confidence of faith and hope".
Cardinal Vincent Nichols is among those expected to travel to Rome in the coming days as a period of mourning gets underway ahead of the Pope's funeral and the conclave meeting to elect his successor. He said the words mercy and hope had defined Pope Francis's vocation in the priesthood.
Speaking to those at Westminster Cathedral for the evening requiem mass, Cardinal Nichols said: "His voice so often called us not to optimism, but to renewed effort to protect those who were without hope, who could see no way forward.
"He was sharply critical of all who ignored the wellbeing of so many and held them to be of no significance in their calculations and actions.
"Constantly, he spoke for those on the margins of society, challenging us with words such as these, 'if you want to know how successful your economy is, then go and speak to an unemployed person'.
"And of those imprisoned in slavery, those suffering other terrible forms of abuse, he said 'These are gaping wounds in the flesh of humanity, wounds in the flesh of Christ Himself'.
"He was filled with compassion, mercy, righteous indignation and irrepressible hope, for which we thank God."
There are currently five cardinals across the UK and Ireland, although only three - Cardinal Nichols, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and Rome-based Cardinal Arthur Roche - who are younger than 80 and therefore of voting age.
Cardinal Nichols told worshippers at Westminster Cathedral: "We know a voice has fallen silent, a voice that's been heard in every corner of the world, a voice of warm encouragement and sharp challenge, expressing both the love of God and a deep love of our shared humanity.
"This voice is silent, for a more authoritative voice has spoken - that of his heavenly father, calling him home to be with his lord and master forever."
Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, had charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.
The 88-year-old suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
He had been admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
He spent 38 days there, the longest period in hospital during his 12-year papacy.
Tributes quickly flooded in for the pontiff, with the King and Queen “deeply saddened” to hear about Francis’ death. In a statement, the King said the couple’s “heavy hearts have been somewhat eased” knowing that the Pope was able to have a final Easter greeting.
Earlier this month, Charles and Camilla spent a brief time with the Pope, with the couple describing the visit as a “very significant and special moment”.
The King and Queen were said to have had a wonderful conversation with the pontiff during their private meeting that lasted 20 minutes at the Vatican.
Flags will be flown at half mast at Downing Street and all British government buildings to pay tribute to Francis until 8pm on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was a reminder of “his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs” while French President Emmanuel Macron described Francis as “a man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and the most fragile”.
Francis had made a brief appearance to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, appearing on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance for more than 20 minutes and imparting the apostolic blessing in Latin.
Francis treated well-wishers to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause.
"Viva il Papa!" (Long live the pope), "Bravo!" the crowd shouted as Francis looped through the square in his open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it.
He stopped occasionally to bless babies brought up to him, a scene that was common in the past but unthinkable just a few weeks ago, when the 88-year-old was battling for his life in hospital.
"Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!" Francis said, his voice sounding stronger than it has since he was released from the hospital March 23 after a five-week stay.
Francis didn't celebrate the Easter Mass in the piazza, delegating it to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.
But after the Mass ended, he appeared on the loggia balcony as more than 35,000 erupted in cheers and a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See anthem.
In all, Francis had been outside for around 50 minutes, with some dubbing his appearance a “miracle”.
Margarita Torres Hernandez, a pilgrim from Mexico who was in the square, said: "Now that he has come out, for me it's a miracle, it's something very big, very beautiful."
On his way to the basilica, Francis met briefly in his hotel with US Vice President JD Vance, who was spending Easter in Rome with his family.
The Vatican said the encounter lasted just a few minutes and was designed to allow for an exchange of Easter greetings.
Francis, for his part, gave Vance three big chocolate Easter eggs to give to his three young children.
"I know you have not been feeling great but it's good to see you in better health," Vance told the pope. "Thank you for seeing me."
The pontiff had only appeared in public a handful of times since returning to the Vatican after a 38-day hospital stay earlier this year.
He skipped the solemn services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading up to Easter, but he had been expected to make an appearance on Sunday.
Doctors had prescribed two months of convalescence and respiratory therapy to improve his lung function after he came down with a life-threatening case of double pneumonia.
The Vatican said Francis has decreed in his will that he will be buried in St Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb with only "Franciscus" written on it.
According to a translation, the Pope only made requests regarding his place of burial in his will which was published in full on the Holy See’s website.
It reads: "Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only with regard to the place of my burial.
"I have always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major.”
Francis requests in his will that his tomb “be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration”.
