King Charles and Queen Camilla might have faced some uneasy situations in their relationship, but an unexpected decision left the pair shaken.

It emerges after the Palace announced that Prince William will represent his father at Pope Francis’s funeral mass on Saturday.

King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, travelled to Pope John Paul II’s funeral on behalf of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. In fact, the pope’s funeral pushed back his wedding to Queen Camilla by one day so he and others could attend.

It was really a shocking move for both, as they were planning to start a new life together after facing several problems and hurdles ahead of their marriage.

Charles and Camilla tied the knot almost eight years after Prince Harry and William’s mother Princess Diana’s tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Diana was 36. 

It’s worth mentioning here that no member of royal family attended the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he had already retired as head of the Catholic Church. He was not granted a state funeral.

Kensington Palace has made the announcement of Prince William’s attendance at the funeral.

It is the latest instance of William taking over more senior royal duties as heir to the British throne. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla were among the last high-profile figures to hold a meeting with the Pope in his final days.

The private meeting, which took place two weeks ago during their four-day state visit to Italy, was held at the Casa Santa Marta, where Pope Francis breathed his last on Monday.

The royal couple’s 20-minute private meeting with the Pope on 9 April was described by Palace officials as having been a very moving encounter.