King Charles and Prince William won’t be attending the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV. Instead, Buckingham Palace is sending Prince Edward in their place.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed to PEOPLE that “The Duke of Edinburgh, 61, will represent His Majesty at the ceremony.” The event is scheduled for May 18 in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, according to Vatican News.
King Charles, who is 76, has already sent his best wishes to Pope Leo XIV — the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first American ever to hold the position.
As reported by Hello! Magazine and The Daily Mail, Buckingham Palace said “the British monarch sent a private message congratulating the pope on his and Queen Camilla’s behalf.”
Edward — who was given the title Duke of Edinburgh by King Charles in 2023 — will now step in to represent the King, his older brother, at the Vatican.
Back in April, Prince William, 42, took part in the funeral of the late Pope Francis in Vatican City. This is a role usually handled by the heir to the throne. He attended the April 26 service on behalf of both the British royal family and the King, joining other royals, world leaders, and religious figures.
When he was still heir, Charles represented his mother, Queen Elizabeth, at Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005. (That event even caused him to delay his wedding to Camilla by a day so he could attend.)
Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth herself never went to a papal funeral during her 70-year reign, even though four popes — Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul I — passed away during that time. No one from the royal family went to the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI either.
At Pope Francis’ inauguration Mass in 2013, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended on behalf of the UK. Back in 2005, it was the late Prince Philip who represented the Queen at Pope Benedict XVI’s ceremony.
After Pope Francis passed away on April 21, just a couple of weeks after he and Camilla had met with him on April 9, the King shared a heartfelt message. (Their meeting had originally been delayed because of the pope’s health.)
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” the monarch said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace. “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.”
King Charles continued his tribute by saying, “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” he said. “His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.”
Looking back on the many times he met Pope Francis over the years, the King added, “We were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.”