Pope Francis funeral updates: Pope Francis laid to rest after historic funeral in front of 250,000

Prince William attended the funeral for Pope Francis on behalf of his father, King Charles III.

He stood side by side with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for a moment's silence in front of Pope Francis's sealed coffin.

William, dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie, walked through the ornate basilica and down the steps into St. Peter's Square, before shaking hands with a member of the clergy and being guided to his seat.

He is carrying out his most significant duty so far as heir to the throne. It is the first time the prince has represented the monarch at an international funeral.

The Holy Communion is being distributed among the cardinals at the funeral of Pope Francis.

After the cardinals receive the Holy Communion, they will then distribute it among the crowd throughout St. Peter's Square.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is being read at the funeral of Pope Francis -- which is where bread and wine are consecrated, becoming the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

It is a central act of worship in the Catholic church where believers and worshippers participate in the eternal sacrifice of Christ.

Pope Francis was remembered on Saturday as a unifying force, a leader who "sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel."

"Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization," Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said in a liturgy during Francis' funeral.

At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with "strength and serenity" who modeled St. Francis of Assisi.

Battista Re added, "He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way."

The cardinal praised Francis for giving himself to the church up until his final full day, when he appeared during an Easter celebration to bless the faithful who had gathered at the Vatican.

Francis maintained a "temperament and form of pastoral leadership" throughout his years leading the church, Battista Re said. And he was "guided by the light of faith" as he encouraged everyone -- from world leaders to the leagues of faithful -- to "live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an 'epochal change.'"

"Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions," Battista Re said.

He added, "War, [Francis] said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse.

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