Trump to be relegated to the third row at the Pope's funeral
by Lauren Lewis · LBCBy Lauren Lewis
US President Donald Trump will be sat in the third row at Pope Francis' funeral.
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The American leader, who is used to taking precedence at world events, will have to settle for third-tier seating at the sombre event on Saturday, The Telegraph reported.
Around 50 heads of state, 10 reigning monarchs and officials from more than 130 countries, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Prince of Wales, will descend on Rome for the funeral.
Though the seating arrangements have not yet been released, based on the Polish pontiff John Paul II in 2005 foreign officials will be sat to one side of the pontiff's coffin.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday from a sudden stroke after battling and seemingly recovering from pneumonia in recent weeks.
The 88-year-old has been dubbed by some as the "people's pope", having spoken out for the poor and those in need in his lifetime and shunned many of the extravagances that come with papal life.
Dr Sergio Alfieri co-ordinated Francis's five-week hospital treatment for double pneumonia and continued to oversee the pope's treatment after the pontiff returned to the Vatican on March 23 for two months of rest to allow a full recovery.
The pontiff was and found with his eyes open and breathing normally, but unresponsive, on Monday, the Vatican said.
Just the day before he died, he appeared in his open-air popemobile to greet a large crowd, who had gathered to welcome the pope back from his long hospital stay on Easter Sunday.