President Donald Trump is likely to be seated in the third row at Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday.
Despite being one of the first to confirm his attendance after Pope Francis died on Monday, the thin-skinned president—who famously mocked former President Joe Biden’s placement in the 14th row at Queen Elizabeth II’s 2022 funeral—will be seated several rows back at the state funeral in St Peter’s Basilica, the Daily Telegraph reports.
While not exactly the nosebleed section, Trump is famously unenthusiastic about playing second fiddle to anyone, and is unlikely to be thrilled with his location.
The news comes as the Vatican scrambles to manage what one senior clergyman described as a parade of “big egos.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, told the Telegraph the ceremony would be a “masterpiece of stage management when you consider those state leaders who have high opinions of their importance.”
“They’ve been doing it since the emperors ruled Rome—they know how to deal with big egos. And I think every leader of a nation that comes here on Saturday will go home reasonably content,” he added.
Trump’s seating arrangement is based on precedent from Pope John Paul II’s 2005 funeral.
On that occasion, Catholic royals took the front row, followed by non-Catholic royals. Non-royal heads of state were then seated behind them in alphabetical order based on the spelling of their countries’ names in French, the official language of Vatican diplomacy.
The upshot is that Trump is likely to find himself in the third row.
Trump publicly mocked President Joe Biden in 2022 for being placed in the 14th row during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, claiming it was proof that “there’s no respect for the United States anymore.” He suggested that, were he still president, he would have received a front-row seat.
Trump will be one of 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs to attend.
“The Vatican is a small machine trying to take on an enormous task at very short notice,” a Vatican source told The Telegraph. “We are being as flexible and understanding as we can be, given the egos flying in.”
Trump and Melania are expected to arrive in Rome Friday evening after Pope Francis’s coffin has been sealed.
The couple will join global figures including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Argentine President Javier Milei.
With no-fly zones, drones grounded, snipers on rooftops, and fighter jets on standby, the area around St Peter’s Basilica has been placed under tight security.
Prince William, representing the British monarchy, will be seated alongside King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, the King and Queen of Sweden, and the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway. The seating protocol prioritizes Catholic monarchs over non-Catholic royalty and world leaders.
The design of Pope Francis’s tomb was also revealed Friday, and reflects his reported request that it be: “simple, without particular decoration.”
A lone inscription, “Franciscus,” is carved into the tomb.
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