Pope Francis Funeral: Why Trump Sat in the Front Row While Starmmer and Prince William Were Seated at the Back

World leaders, including approximately 100 heads of government and 12 monarchs, attended the outdoor funeral Mass for Pope Francis held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Millions around the world watched as Argentina, the birthplace of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday (April 21, 2025), was given a place of honor at the top of the Basilica. Argentine President Javier Milei sat in the front row alongside his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. Italy, which surrounds Vatican City and officially recognized its sovereignty in 1929, occupied the second-best seats due to Pope Francis’s role as Bishop of Rome and head of the Italian bishops’ conference. Seating arrangements followed the French alphabet, still considered the language of diplomacy. Germany (‘Allemagne’) representatives were close to the front, while the U.S. delegation ensured President Trump had a prominent seat instead of being placed in the third row as some expected. Consequently, he did not sit near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Monarchs, like the royal couples of Spain and Belgium, took precedence over other state leaders. Prince William of Britain sat with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the third row, unexpectedly next to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Despite representing the King internationally for the first time at an international funeral, Prince William did not secure a front-row seat due to the UK’s (‘Royaume-Uni’) late position in the French alphabet. President Trump drew attention by violating the dress code, wearing blue instead of black during the Vatican service. There was no distinction between Catholic and non-Catholic royals concerning seating arrangements; former U.S. President Joe Biden, a lifelong Catholic, sat further back as he was not part of the official U.S. delegation.