King Charles and Prince William won’t be attending the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV. Instead, Buckingham Palace is sending Prince Edward in their place.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed to PEOPLE that “The Duke of Edinburgh, 61, will represent His Majesty at the ceremony.” The event is scheduled for May 18 in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, according to Vatican News.

King Charles, who is 76, has already sent his best wishes to Pope Leo XIV — the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first American ever to hold the position.

As reported by Hello! Magazine and The Daily Mail, Buckingham Palace said “the British monarch sent a private message congratulating the pope on his and Queen Camilla’s behalf.”

Edward — who was given the title Duke of Edinburgh by King Charles in 2023 — will now step in to represent the King, his older brother, at the Vatican.

Back in April, Prince William, 42, took part in the funeral of the late Pope Francis in Vatican City. This is a role usually handled by the heir to the throne. He attended the April 26 service on behalf of both the British royal family and the King, joining other royals, world leaders, and religious figures.

When he was still heir, Charles represented his mother, Queen Elizabeth, at Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005. (That event even caused him to delay his wedding to Camilla by a day so he could attend.)

Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth herself never went to a papal funeral during her 70-year reign, even though four popes — Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul I — passed away during that time. No one from the royal family went to the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI either.