Prince William has been commended for his appearance at the funeral of Pope Francis, with royal fans calling it a “perfect king” moment.
The Prince of Wales, 42, represented his father King Charles at the service, which occured in Vatican City on Saturday. William was the only British royal present, joining world leaders and statesmen from across the globe.
Before taking his seat, William paid his respects at the late Pope’s sealed coffin, standing alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Body language expert shares finding on Prince William
Body language expert Judi James has shared that William’s behaviour during the service showed he would one day make an “ideal king”.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Judi explained: “It is probably the biggest compliment to William to say that he was close to invisible at the Pope’s funeral, with his elegant body language looking quietly composed and appropriate while all the global leadership dramas swirled around him.”
She continued: “Unlike Trump and co, William had only one job which was to pay respects and he executed it perfectly. His height singles him out but his body language was low-key.”
A quiet but powerful moment
As William stood beside Sir Keir Starmer at the coffin, Judi spotted the small but meaningful gestures the Prince made.
“When he stood with Starmer at the coffin he bowed his head slightly in a moment of reflection and it was his call in terms of ending the pose as he turned out of it first to signal to the Starmers that it was time to move away,” she said.
“This ability to be elegantly politely drama-free will help make William the perfect king one day.”
Shared traits with Princess Kate
Judi also noted that William shares this important quality with his wife, Princess Kate, 43.
“It’s a quality that he and Kate tend to have perfected,” she said.
“While they will never be ignored thanks to their stylish good looks, they will share the ability to attend important events like this without making it all about themselves.”
Kate did not join the funeral and is believed to have stayed at their Windsor home with their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.
Fans react to Prince William’s appearance
Royal fans were quick to commend William’s dignified conduct during the service.
One user wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The Prince of Wales attending the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. His suit and tie is on point and Wills is looking every inch a statesman.”
Another fan commented: “Prince William is well thought of and very much loved and admired here in America… He will make an excellent king.”
A third added: “Prince William is not even King yet, but is already the face of the British Monarchy. He is front and centre whenever there is a ceremony or a celebration somewhere in the world. And it’s only going to get better when Wills actually becomes Monarch.”
A glasp into the future of the monarchy
William’s appearance at the funeral comes at a time when the Prince is taking on more duties as heir to the throne.
After knowing King Charles’ canc3r diagnosis, the Prince of Wales has stepped up his public engagements, balancing royal responsibilities with his environmental work and his Homewards homelessness campaign.
Royal commentators have shared that William’s performance in major events such as this one provide a clear sign of the monarchy’s future under his leadership.
