Donald Trump is expected to have a ‘third-tier seat’ at Pope Francis‘ funeral mass despite being among the first to confirm that he would be attending the service.

Trump, who is accustomed to being front and centre at world events, is unlikely to have a prominent position in the seating arrangements when he arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica tomorrow morning.

The Vatican is today making final preparations for the pontiff’s funeral and has not yet released the official seating chart.

Many of the 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs will be in attendance, but tradition suggests that precedence for front row seating will be given to Catholic royalty.

Foreign dignities will likely be sat in large block on one side of the coffin, across from the cardinals, patriarchs, bishops and archbishops, The Telegraph reports.

Catholic royals will be seated in the front row, followed by non-Catholic royals, including Prince William. World leaders, heads of states and other foreign dignitaries will then be sat behind them.

Trump, however, is not likely to be pleased with the seating arrangements, given that he mocked his predecessor Joe Biden for having to sit in the rear at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral three years ago.

He said that Biden’s 14th row seat showed there was ‘no respect’ for the US anymore and alleged that if he was president he would have been moved closer to the front of the audience of 2,000 mourners.

Trump did not attend the service bidding farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch – as invites were limited to current heads of state.

 

Donald Trump (pictured with Pope Francis in May 2017) is expected to have a ‘third-tier seat’ at Pope Francis’ funeral mass despite being among the first to confirm that he would be attending the service

 

Pope Francis lies in state in a coffin as people pay their respects at St Peter’s Basilica at The Vatican, on April 25, 2025