Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states in the Secretariat of State, will be Pope Francis’ representative at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022, the Vatican announced.
Archbishop Gallagher, 68, is the Pontiff’s “minister of foreign affairs” as well as one of the most senior British officials in the Roman Curia. He was ordained a priest of Liverpool in 1977 and joined Vatican diplomatic services seven years later.
Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, are other British cardinal elector.
In recent days, Archbishop Gallagher was part of the delegation accompanying Pope Francis to Kazakhstan.
Amidst crowned heads and heads of state
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is expected to be attended by more than 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday. In addition to members of the royal family and former British prime ministers – as well as the current one, Liz Truss.
Heads of state from many countries, including France, the United States and Italy, will be present. The Emperor of Japan, the sovereigns of Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Monaco, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Serbia, Tonga, Bhutan, Malaysia as well as the Sultans of Oman and Brunei have announced their presence.
