Keir Starmer to attend Pope's funeral - along with Donald Trump

Keir Starmer will attend the funeral of on Saturday, No10 has confirmed.

The Prime Minister will join dignitaries in Rome as the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is laid to rest. US President has also announced his intention to be there.

Pope Francis will be buried on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter's Basilica. He died on Monday morning after suffering a stroke and heart failure, with his death sparking tributes from across the .

Mr Starmer labelled him a "pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten" and said: "He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fuelled hope of a better world."

This morning the Vatican announced a funeral liturgy will be presided by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. Following the liturgy, his coffin will be taken into St Peter’s Basilica, and then to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.

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The Pope requested in his will that he is buried in a simple underground tomb. It is unclear if any other members of the Cabinet will be in Rome alongside the Prime Minister for the funeral.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the Pope was "a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy".

"And I think what we've seen obviously in the last 24 hours or so is an outpouring of grief and love for the late Pope that I think reflects the high esteem in which he was held, not just by millions and millions of Catholics, but by many others across the world, myself included. So I pay tribute in that way, to his incredible work."

The last time a Pope died in office, in 2005, an unusual 'truce' was called so three leaders could attend the funeral. , Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy all headed to Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral.

He had delayed calling the election for 24 hours following the pontiff's passing. Britain was also represented by Prince Charles, now the King, and his bride-to-be Camilla. The couple postponed their wedding until the following day, April 9, so that Charles could go to Rome.

Former PMs Margaret Thatcher and also attended. frontbenchers Jack Straw, John Reid, and Ruth Kelly were also there. Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, and was elected pope in March 2013.

The King, who met Francis earlier this month, said he was someone who had "profoundly touched the lives of so many". US President Mr Trump had already said on social media he and his wife Melania plan to attend the funeral.

Before 120 cardinals, senior members of the Catholic Church, convene in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave - the secret meeting at which a new pope will be elected - the Church enters a period called "sede vacante", or "the vacant See".

Following the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, with the conclave required to begin 15 to 20 days after the sede vacante is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree. Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols is among those travelling to Rome.

There are currently five cardinals across the UK and Ireland, although only three - Cardinal Nichols, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and Rome-based Cardinal Arthur Roche - are younger than 80 and therefore of voting age.

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