Prince William pays tribute to Pope Francis after funeral

Prince William and Kate Middleton have paid a touching tribute to Pope Francis after the Prince of Wales attended the funeral of the pontiff.

The Prince of Wales represented King Charles and the royal family at the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday.

William attended the service "on behalf" of King Charles III, 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.

Following the service, Prince William tweeted “Today we remember and celebrate the life of Pope Francis.”

Prince William was reacting to Vatican News video on X, which was posted with caption, “Pope Francis' coffin has been entombed.”

As per the AFP, hundreds of thousands of mourners and world leaders including US President Donald Trump packed St Peter´s Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, "pope among the people" and the Catholic Church´s first Latin American leader.

Some waited overnight to get a seat for the ceremony, with the Vatican reporting some 200,000 people in the square and surrounding streets during the ceremony.