Prince William leaves royal fans unimpressed with move at Pope’s funeral

Prince William undertook a major diplomatic mission on Saturday as the Prince of Wales represented his father, King Charles, at the funeral of Pope Francis.

The late pontiff died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday following a stroke that led to a cardiac arrest. William’s attendance at the funeral was confirmed on Tuesday. The decision was in keeping with modern tradition and could be seen as a major milestone in William’s role as a global statesman and future king.

However, some royal watchers were left unimpressed with the father-of-three following the ceremony.

Wrong clothes

For the ceremony, William wore a blue suit, despite black traditionally being the colour of choice for such a formal occasion.

In response, one fan said: “The blue suits bother me. Sorry, but isn’t there a standard for black suits?” while a second added: “Wearing black was too difficult?” A third commented: “Blue suit? Disrespectful. Period.“

© Europa Press via Getty Images

HELLO!’s lifestyle editor, Nichola Murphy, noted, however, that blue isn’t necessarily disrespectful. “Black has long been associated with appropriate funeral attire, but it is not the only colour that is acceptable,” she explained.

“Dark blue and grey suits are also commonly worn by attendees paying their respects. We saw the likes of Prince George wear blue at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, so it’s not surprising the colour featured at the pope’s funeral, too.”

Another blue suit

William wasn’t the only attendee who deviated from black, as US President Donald Trump also showed up in the colour. The 78-year-old also wore a blue tie and white shirt.

© Getty Images

One person commented on X (formerly Twitter): “I was wondering why Donald Trump wore a blue suit. Now I understand. He stands out from the crowd. Meanwhile, Melania is in full traditional dress for a Catholic funeral.”

Another added: “Why is he not wearing black? It’s a formal funeral.” A third questioned: “Any reason why Donald Trump is in a blue suit and not wearing traditional black for a funeral?”