Pope Francis’ funeral brought together over 200,000 people at St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Square, including more than 60 heads of state and government, along with representatives from 140 foreign delegations. It became a true international summit, capturing historic moments like the meeting between King Felipe, Queen Letizia, President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump.
The King and Queen were seated next to the President of the United States and the First Lady during the funeral mass, which lasted two hours and was led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who also presided over Benedict XVI’s farewell. Only one person separated the two couples: the President of Estonia, Alar Karis. The President of Estonia arranged the seating in alphabetical order in French, a delicate diplomatic task to avoid any conflicts.
Before the solemn ceremony began—delayed by about 10 minutes—King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia exchanged warm greetings with the presidential couple, whose arrival—one of the last—drew a lot of attention. They first greeted Melania Trump and, a few seconds later, Donald Trump. Toward the end of the funeral, the King also shook hands with the President and the First Lady as a sign of peace.
Before entering the square, which was secured by a large security operation for an event of this magnitude, both the King and Queen and the Trumps passed through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects before the Pope’s casket. King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived in Rome on Friday night, and before the funeral, they said their private farewell to a man who changed the history of the Catholic Church. Spanish authorities also took part in this intimate moment.
This was the first meeting between the Spanish royals and Donald and Melania Trump since the President’s second inauguration, although they had met once before. That first meeting took place in 2018, when the King and Queen visited the United States and were welcomed at the White House. They also met in the Oval Office. "Spain is a beautiful country. We were there not long ago and loved it," President Trump said at the time, highlighting the "extraordinary relationship" between the two countries over the years. King Felipe responded, "We deeply value our shared history, our heritage, and the years we spent together."
Editorial in progress. Further updates will be provided.