Prince William to attend funeral of Pope Francis alongside queens and kings

 

The Prince of Wales will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican City.

The historic meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis

 

The death of Pope Francis has been mourned around the world. His pontificate was one of humility and a deep and unwavering commitment to put the very poorest in society first. Francis was a very human Pope but also an adept statesman. He discovered very early on in his reign that his role required top level diplomacy as well as spiritual leadership and one of the most famous moments came in 2014 when the Head of the Roman Catholic Church welcomed the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Elizabeth II, to Rome. As the death of Pope Francis is mourned, we look back at a moment of history.

Two queens and a king pay tribute to Pope Francis

 

The King of Spain and the country's two queens have paid tribute to Pope Francis following his death in Rome. Felipe VI was accompanied by his wife and mother as he travelled to the Apostolic Nunciature to honour the Pontiff.

The discreet house in a very posh part of London that accidentally became the birthplace of the most famous Monarch of all

Queens and Kings are born in palaces and castles, their arrivals proclaimed across the lands they will one day rule by heralds, the lighting of bonfires and the ringing of bells. That's what the storybooks tell us and in many cases it is true. But the baby girl who would go on to make history by becoming Britain's longest reigning monarch made her debut in rather more low key surroundings. Elizabeth II, Queen of England, was born at her grandad's London house.

Countdown on to glorious centenary celebrations now under way

 

The countdown is now on to a centenary to remember. There is just one year to go until we reach the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.