Keir Starmer is poised to accept an invite to attend the Pope’s funeral this weekend.
The PM is understood to be likely to make the trip to Rome on Saturday. He will join a host of international dignitaries, including Donald Trump and his wife Melania.
It is unclear whether the leaders will be able to meet amid the ceremony, with frantic talks ongoing over a Transatlantic trade deal.
In a round of interviews this morning, education minister Stephen Morgan said: ‘I understand a request has come in for attendance at the funeral… obviously the government will make arrangements for who will be attending in due course.’
Pressed if that meant the PM would be attending, the minister told Sky News: ‘It could be. The request has gone in and it will be announced in due course.’
Keir Starmer is poised to accept an invite to attend the Pope’s funeral this weekend
Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican
Details of Francis’s funeral were confirmed this morning, with mass to take place at 10am local time celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals.
The Pope’s body will be on display for the public to pay their respects in St Peter’s Basilica from tomorrow.
Mr Trump announced yesterday that he and the First Lady will travel to Rome – the first international trip of his second term. Melania’s 55th birthday is on Saturday.
‘Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!’ he wrote on social media.
The Vatican said Francis, the first pope from Latin America, died after a stroke and requested a simple tomb in Rome.
A pontiff’s funeral and interment must take place four to six days after his death.
Sir Keir will join a host of international dignitaries, including Donald Trump and his wife Melania (pictured yesterday)
