World leaders, dignitaries, and thousands of mourners have started arriving at the St Peter’s Square to bid farewell to Pope Francis.

Who is at the Pope’s Funeral?

US President Donald Trump, his predecessor Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the Prince of Wales are among attendees at the requiem mass in St Peter’s Square, which begins at 9am UK.

Others include French President Emmanuel Macron, former US President Joe Biden , and Irish President Michael D Higgins.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived on Saturday morning and will attend with his wife Olena Zelenska, following uncertainty over where he could attend after his travel plans were disrupted by air strikes in Kyiv.

About 500,000 people are expected to gather for the open-air service.

Pope Francis, who died aged 88 on Monday, just hours after greeting crowds to mark Easter, had been lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica for three days, with some 250,000 mourners passing him day and night, before his coffin was formally sealed in private on Friday.

Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru, lined up from 7am to enter the square. ‘He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind,’ he said.