Prince William represented the royal family at Pope Francis’s funeral over the weekend, and attended solo—despite other world leaders, royals, and dignitaries attending with their spouses (both Jill Biden and Melania Trump were there). So why didn’t Kate Middleton join? According to Page Six, it’s “not customary for a British royal’s other half to be required to attend.”
Mmmkay!
Meanwhile, Prince William went instead of King Charles due to His Majesty not being allowed to attend. Like, literally. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained in Vanity Fair that King Charles “will not travel to the Vatican, in accordance with protocol and precedence which dictates that the Sovereign does not attend funerals, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.”
While Prince William and King Charles’s offices clearly coordinated on the Pope’s funeral since Wills was representing the family, apparently William usually makes an effort to keep his plans completely “locked down” from his dad.
“William is very stubborn and private,” the insider recently told Us Weekly. “He keeps his movements and calendar away from Charles’s team to such an extent that he won’t listen to anyone or take guidance from [his father] or his team. He keeps things very locked down and separate.”
Their royal insider also claimed that King Charles is jealous over William’s increasing popularity (they say it’s “similar to how he felt about Diana”) and that while they “are close” as father and son, they’re also “rivals when it comes to work.”
