The late pontiff will be buried on Saturday, following his death on Easter Monday aged 88.
His body will be laid out for public view from Wednesday in St Peter’s Basilica, so mourners can pay their respects to a man dubbed the People’s Pope.
Heir to the throne William, a future head of the Church of England, will attend on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace said.
The Prime Minister will also join other leaders including US President Donald Trump, who had already said on social media that he and his wife Melania plan to attend the funeral.
Sir Keir Starmer said the “outpouring of grief” following Francis’s death reflects the “high esteem” in which the Pope was held “not just by millions and millions of Catholics, but by many others across the world, myself included”.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the PM said the Pope was “a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy”.
A picture of Pope Francis on display in Westminster Cathedral in London (James Manning/PA)
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it’s “right, like other world leaders are, that he (Sir Keir) pays tribute to his life and attends his funeral”.
Downing Street would not be drawn on whether Sir Keir would have talks with counterparts while attending the funeral.
Details of the Pope’s funeral mass, due to take place at 10am local time (9am BST) in St Peter’s Square and celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, were confirmed on Tuesday.
The news came as the first images of the late pontiff were published.
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