The king said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the pope's death, while JD Vance, the pontiff’s final international visitor, said he was “happy” to see the “obviously very ill” Francis on Easter Sunday.

Another royal will attend Pope Francis’s funeral in place of King Charles—and while some may be surprised, there’s a royal reason behind the switch. Here’s what we know about the decision.

William, the Prince of Wales, will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday on behalf of his father, King Charles III, Kensington Palace confirmed on Tuesday, per the BBC. Pope Francis died at 88 on Monday. His cause of death was a stroke, which resulted in a coma and the “collapse of his cardiovascular system,” per The New York Times.