This Saturday, April 26, the funeral of Pope Francis took place in St. Peter’s Square. He died last Monday at the age of 88. The ceremony brought together more than 200,000 faithful and 140 official delegations, including 50 heads of state and government, as well as several members of royal houses.
Among the most prominent figures in attendance were U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who took their seats in the front row, following the seating protocol based on the dignitaries’ rank and alphabetical order in French.
Donald Trump’s presence at the funeral attracted the attention of international media, not only because of his prior agenda, which included a meeting with Zelensky in Rome, but also because of his clothing, which contrasted sharply with that of most of the attendees.
The U.S. president attended the ceremony wearing a navy blue suit and a lighter blue tie, which drew comments due to the Vatican’s recommended etiquette rules for such ceremonies.
According to the guidelines contained in the document Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontifici, updated in April 2024 by the late pontiff, male attendees at a papal funeral should dress formally, preferably opting for black for suits or military uniforms, accompanied by a black tie and a badge of the same colour on the left lapel.
Although the rules allow some flexibility toward other dark colors, black remains the predominant shade, especially among those close to the deceased pontiff and high-level diplomatic representatives.
However, Trump wasn’t the only one to wear navy blue: both his predecessor, Joe Biden, and Prince William of England also opted for this shade, in accordance with protocol.U.S. First Lady Melania Trump did strictly adhere to the Vatican’s dress code for these events. She wore a long-sleeved mourning dress, accompanied by a black cloak.
Trump sat at the front of one of the benches in the front row, next to Melania Trump. Next to him was Finnish President Alexander Stubb, followed by Emmanuel Macron. A short distance away in the same row was Volodymyr Zelensky, who, despite the alphabetical distance between “Ukraine” and “États-Unis” in French, occupied a prominent place.
Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Rome on Saturday morning with his wife Olena Zelenska, opted for a different outfit: he wore dark clothing, replacing his usual olive-green military uniform. The Ukrainian president wore a black jacket, cut more casual than a traditional suit, with front pockets, a shirt underneath, and dark boots. Some Russian media criticized his choice of clothing as inappropriate.
Before the funeral began, Donald Trump had brief encounters with several officials present, including the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he shook hands. During the ceremony, while exchanging the peace sign, Trump and Macron were seen shaking hands in a sign of mutual respect.
The funeral, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, took place in a reverent atmosphere. Pope Francis’s coffin was later transferred to the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where his burial will take place, in accordance with his express wishes.