Pope funeral LIVE: Trump to board Air Force One as he leads world elite flocking to Rome for Francis’s historic send-off

WORLD leaders are flocking to Rome for Pope Francis’s historic send off on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump is set to lead fellow elite as he will soon board Air Force One after a press briefing.

AP

Pope Francis is placed in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican[/caption]

Rex

Pope Francis Pope Francis meets Fiji’s President Jioj Konousi in 2017[/caption]

AP

A nun cries as she waits to pay respects to Pope Francis[/caption]

Splash

Trump will be sat in the third seat of row and far away from Zelensky[/caption]

Trump will not get a front-row seat and will be sat far away from Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’ funeral, according to the Vatican protocol.

Italy is deploying a ring of steel around the Vatican City to help protect crowds of up to 200,000 and the almost 200 high-profile foreign visitors.

This includes President Trump and his wife, Melania and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who announced they would attend the Pope’s funeral.

No10 said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will also attend the funeral, along with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Prince William will also be in attendance at the Pope’s funeral on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace announced.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have paid tribute to the Pope in a touching statement.

Today is the final day for mourners to pay their respects to the pontiff before his funeral tomorrow, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to be in attendance.

Pallbearers carried Francis’ body into Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday for the solemn three-day ritual.

The coffin closing ceremony will take place at 7pm UK time before the funeral on Saturday.

On the first day of the ritual, around 20,000 paid respects – with pilgrims draping blue and white football shirts in honour of the Argentine pontiff.