Real reason why Prince William wore controversial outfit to Pope’s funeral

Prince William's suit at the funeral for Pope Francis was called out by viewers on social media, who found its colour quite a controversial choice.

The Prince of Wales attended the funeral on Saturday along with world leaders, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, and Emmanuel Macron.

Countless followers of the royal family were taken aback by William’s choice of suit for the funeral. Instead of choosing black, a colour that is synonymous with funerals, the father-of-three went for a blue suit with a black tie.

But did William break the dress code? Well, the answer will probably leave you quite shocked.

During his regular “Royal Roundup” segment on TalkTV, Rupert Bell discussed William’s attire.

Bell did not appear to be very concerned about the blue suit, and claimed the outfit ‘probably would have been given the green light’, with a smirk, pondering that the choice probably gave the future king a ‘younger feel’.

Prince William attended the pope's funeral on behalf of the King (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

William was not the only guest wearing a blue outfit, US President Donald Trump also left people in shock by his blue suit and matching blue tie. Neither man’s outfit choice went unnoticed on social media

“Prince William looked odd with a blue suit and black tie,” one social media user complained. “Trump completely ignored the black tie instructions.”

“What was Prince William thinking about by not wearing a black suit, too,” another X user complained. “If there’s one thing you’d think the Royals would be red hot on is correct protocol. All he had to do was turn up & look the part. He dropped the ball today.”

“Black tie with a blue suit?” a confused viewer wrote on X.

Black is often considered the colour to symbolise mourning, especially for Catholic funerals.

Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Trump, however, identifies as a non-denominational Christian, and William follows the Church of England. Furthermore, the dress code did not specify male attendees must wear black.

The dress code for the funeral, which took place at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, mandated that men wear a dark suit, paired with a black tie and a black button on the left lapel.

Fans came to the defence of William by referring back to the dress code on social media.

"Kings and Princes commonly wear a dark blue suit and black tie," one person wrote.

"The Prince of Wales is NOT Catholic. HIS FATHER, the King, is the head of the Church of England. He wears that colour to signify that fact. What is Trump is saying, do you think?" another added.