No senior royal family members expected to attend funeral of Pope

The UK's highest representative at the funeral of controversial Pope Benedict XVI will be Education Secretary Gillian Keegan – with no members of the royal family expected to attend.

Keegan, will join cardinal Vincent Nichols the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, for the ceremony on Thursday morning at the Vatican, in what some insiders have seen as a snub to the German born pontiff who died last Saturday aged 95.

MailOnline understands no senior members of the Royal Family will be in Rome for the event, which is expected to draw a global TV audience of hundreds of millions as it is beamed live around the world.

Other senior European royals – including Queen Sofia of Spain and King Philippe of Belgium will be at the open air Mass which will take place in St Peter's Square along with other Catholic noibility.

A Vatican insider said: 'Although no one was realistically expecting King Charles to attend, it was hoped that perhaps a junior member of the Royal Family would have at...
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