Pope Francis’ funeral saw a star-studded attendance, with world leaders and royalty gathered to pay their respects. Who occupied the coveted seats at the historic event?
Numerous world leaders and royals gathered in Rome for Pope Francis‘ funeral on Saturday morning. Among the most prominent figures were Prince William, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis, was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He became the first Jesuit Pope in 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.
Before his papacy, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 to 2013.
Known for his humility and commitment to social justice, Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of caring for the poor and protecting the environment.
The VIPs were seated in a separate section from the hundreds of thousands of members of the public who have descended on Rome for the event. The dignitaries were sitting on the right-hand side of the square, next to St Peter’s Basilica. Those with the best seats were Javier Milei, president of Francis‘ native Argentina, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Trump and Zelensky sat 10 seats apart on the same front row as France’s Emmanuel Macron. The Trumps were sandwiched by Finland‘s Alexander Stubb to the left of Melania Trump and Estonia‘s President Alar Karis to the right of Donald Trump. Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky was sitting on the same row as Macron, separated by a few other dignitaries. US President Joe Biden sat four rows behind Trump, hand in hand with his wife Jill. France’s President Emmanuel Macron and French First Lady Brigitte Macron watched the service closely from their front row position.
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.
“I've made some very good deals over the years,” Trump said about his business career.
Trump began his career in real estate in the 1970s and built a business empire through various developments and investments.
He became a prominent figure in American politics, serving as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump's presidency was marked by controversy and polarization, with significant policy changes on issues like trade, immigration, and healthcare.
Volodymyr Zelensky is a Ukrainian politician and former actor who became the President of Ukraine in 2019.
Born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, he rose to fame with his comedy series 'Servant of the People.' He won the presidential election with over 73% of the votes, promising to end corruption and improve living standards.
As president, Zelensky has faced numerous challenges, including the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
He has been praised for his leadership during the crisis, but also criticized for his handling of some issues.
Many European leaders, as well as royalty from European countries, were in attendance. These included: Poland President Andrzej Duda, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, Belgium King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Croatia President Zoran Milanovic, Ecuador President Daniel Noboa, Ireland Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin, Moldova President Maia Sandu, Latvia President Edgars Rinkevics, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Queen Mary of Denmark, Jordan King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, Hungary President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, European Council President Antonio Costa.
- bbc.com | Who was there and where did they sit?
