
2022 in review: Three prime ministers, the death of a monarch and a war in Europe
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adminFor most of us, 2022 has felt like more than just a year.
In the space of 12 months, the UK has had three prime ministers and two monarchs.
Russia went to war with Ukraine, causing a global financial and energy crisis, and after dominating our lives for more than two years, the coronavirus pandemic finally took more of a back seat.
So grab a cuppa, or mulled beverage, depending on the time of day, and let’s look back at what made the headlines this year.

The UK began 2022 still in the midst of the first Omicron coronavirus wave, with many having had what they hoped would be their first COVID-free Christmas in two years scuppered by cases.
But despite infections still being high, ministers reduced the legal isolation period from seven days to five on 17 January – and three days later removed the legal requirement to wear a face mask on public transport and guidance to work from home where possible.
Also in January, a Chinese Communist Party agent was revealed to have interfered in UK politics by making large donations to the Labour MP Barry Gardiner. Chinese officials denied Christine Lee was involved in any interference.

Down Under there was outrage after tennis world champion Novak Djokovic was given a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open – despite not meeting COVID vaccine requirements. He was eventually deported, missing the whole tournament.
Back home, the investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Westminster carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray was delayed by the Met Police’s own investigation.
An initial excerpt was published on 31 January, which forced then-prime minister Boris Johnson to apologise for breaking his own rules.
One you might have missed: A 24-year-old man, Jonathan Chew, from Essex, was jailed for eight weeks for harassing England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty in St James’s Park in London the previous summer.

At the start of February, West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma caused outrage when he was filmed kicking and slapping his pet cat.
He was later prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act and sentenced to 140 hours of community service.

The same month, Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, made the surprise decision to drop her US civil case against him and settle out of court.
The Duke of York, who had already had his military titles and patronages stripped, donated to her victims’ charity on top of his undisclosed settlement – reported to be up to £12m.

Virginia Giuffre outside court
Days later, the Queen tested positive for coronavirus, with Buckingham Palace saying she suffered “mild cold-like symptoms”.
In a video call to COVID bereaved families later in the year, she admitted it “leaves one very tired and exhausted”.
On 24 February, Boris Johnson removed all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, declaring it was time to start “living with COVID”.
It meant people were no longer legally required to isolate after contracting the virus and the end to universal free testing.

Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv on 25 February
On the same day, Vladimir Putin’s troops crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine as part of what he called a “special military operation”.
The UK, US, EU and others condemned the war, quickly imposing sanctions and offering military support.
Elsewhere, the showbiz world was shocked by the death of YouTuber and SBTV founder Jamal Edwards at the age of 31.
Edwards, who the likes of Skepta and Ed Sheeran thanked for their careers, had a heart attack after taking cocaine, a coroner later concluded.
One you might have missed: A mum called Jane went viral after she spotted radio DJ Greg James on a train from Edinburgh – but was too shy to approach him so texted her daughter to check it was him. Jane’s daughter tweeted him, James spotted the tweet, and quickly surprised her by asking: “Are you Jane?”

The Kremlin’s hopes of storming Kyiv and claiming a swift victory were dashed as Ukrainian troops held firm.
Despite suffering horrendous losses, citizens remained defiant, with many women and children trying to flee to other countries.
In the UK, economic sanctions were imposed on all Russian assets, including Chelsea Football Club – owned by oligarch and close friend of Mr Putin, Roman Abramovich.
Fans were dismayed as it left the club unable to sell any new match tickets, merchandise, or buy players.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is reunited with her family
On 17 March, after six years in a Tehran prison, Iranian-British dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe returned home to the UK.
She was accompanied by fellow detainee Anoosheh Ashoori, who had been held since 2017.
Emotional pictures of her being reunited with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella were followed by claims she was made to sign a false confession in the presence of British government officials.

The last day of March saw the internet’s mouth drop when actor Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Later described as “the slap heard around the world”, it saw Smith banned from Oscars ceremonies for the next 10 years.
One you might have missed: The Met Police were forced to apologise after an officer strip searched a black schoolgirl while on her period after wrongly suspecting her of carrying cannabis.

April was a big month for showbiz news, starting with the death of much-loved EastEnders actor June Brown at the age of 95.
Days later a High Court judge ruled in Ed Sheeran’s favour that he didn’t plagiarise grime artist Sami Switch in his song Shape of You.
The artist had claimed Sheeran’s lyrics were “strikingly similar” to his 2015 song Oh Why.

In the US, David Beckham’s eldest son Brooklyn married the daughter of billionaire American businessman Nelson Peltz, Nicola, in a £3m ceremony.
In Las Vegas, Harry Styles’s then-partner Olivia Wilde was served divorce papers live on stage while promoting her film Don’t Worry Darling.

Don’t Worry Darling cast at the Venice Film Festival. Pic: AP
Back in the UK, Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and then-chancellor Rishi Sunak were all handed fixed penalty notices for breaking lockdown rules.
This made Mr Johnson the first prime minister to be reprimanded by the police in office.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also fell foul of COVID rules, albeit to a much lesser extent, as she was spoken to by police for not adhering to face mask rules.
And 26-year-old Ali Harbi Ali was sentenced to a whole-life prison sentence for stabbing Southend MP Sir David Amess to death in his Leigh-on-Sea constituency in October 2021.
One you might have missed: The Otley Burger Company in Yorkshire had an advert banned because it made light of the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal 15 years ago.
It read: “With burgers this good, you’ll leave your kids at home. What’s the worst that could happen?” and featured a man running in the background with an image of Madeleine in his hands, alongside the words: “Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.”

On 9 May, the Queen missed the state opening of parliament for only the third time during her reign.
She didn’t do it 1959 and 1963 on the advice of her doctors as she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Edward.
Prince Charles took her place due to the mobility problems she had been experiencing since the autumn.

Prince Charles opens parliament for the Queen
The next day, the long-awaited Wagatha Christie trial began at the High Court in London.
It was given that name after Coleen Rooney claimed in 2019 to have carried out her own sting operation into who was leaking stories about her to the press.
After declaring it was fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy, Vardy sued her for libel, alleging her claims had damaged her reputation. After six weeks, the judge sided with Rooney.

Rebekah and Jamie Vardy arrive at court

Coleen Rooney outside the High Court
On 24 May, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot his grandmother before storming Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killing 21 people.
Ramos was shot dead and the police were later criticised for waiting more than an hour before engaging him, triggering a wider discussion about US gun laws.
Back in the UK, the long-waited Sue Gray report into lockdown gatherings in Downing Street was finally published in full.

Boris Johnson at a gathering during COVID restrictions
It contained damning revelations about parties where civil servants were so drunk they were sick and broke the prime minister’s son’s swing.
May was also the month the first case of monkeypox was confirmed in the UK.
One you might have missed: Seventeen-year-old Jake Daniels, who plays for Blackpool, came out and became the first openly gay male professional footballer in the UK.

On 1 June, a Virginia court found that actor Amber Heard had defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp in a Washington Post article about their relationship.
She was made to pay £8.5m in damages and almost immediately said she would appeal.
It came after Depp lost a UK libel trial against The Sun over an article that described him as a “wife beater”.

Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Britons got a long Bank Holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Queen played herself in a skit with Paddington Bear in which she admitted to hiding marmalade sandwiches in her handbag – to the nation’s delight.
Concerns for her health were fuelled after she had to pull out of the Buckingham Palace pop concert and other events because of her mobility issues.
Prince Louis stole the show on the palace balcony with his visible dislike of the noisy flypast.

The Queen reveals her marmalade sandwich
In more showbiz news, Justin Bieber announced he was suffering from a form of facial paralysis and had to cancel tour dates.
On 7 June, the prime minister narrowly survived a no confidence vote over the findings of the Sue Gray report in the Commons.
In the US, the historic legislation that guaranteed abortion rights in all 50 states was overturned by the Supreme Court on 24 June.
The ruling on Roe v Wade sparked fears for abortion rights in other countries around the world.

Protests in Washington DC. Pic: AP
Back in the UK, traces of polio were found in traces of sewage in London, triggering a warning from the UK Health Security Agency.
And on 29 June, campaigner Dame Deborah James died five years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Dame Deborah James with her book
She was given a damehood personally at her Surrey home by Prince William and raised more than £7m for cancer research with her Bowel Babe fund.
One you might have missed: The Binley Mega Chippy near Coventry shot to global fame with its own song after becoming a TikTok sensation.

As summer got underway in the UK, it was plagued by blistering temperatures and travel chaos.
The heatwave saw temperatures surpass 40C (104F) for the first time on 19 July.
And as airlines struggled to cope with staff vacancies from the pandemic, thousands of flights were cancelled, causing holiday chaos for families.

Primrose Hill, London in July

Queues for the Port of Dover
July began, however, with a political crisis.
On 3 July, two further allegations of sexual assault emerged against Conservative deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.
When it transpired concerns about his behaviour had been reported to Downing Street before and seemingly ignored, it triggered a huge backlash within the Tory Party.
Already furious over his involvement in lockdown parties, momentum against Boris Johnson finally grew to the point of no return.
And on 7 July he appeared outside Number 10 to announce his resignation.

Conceding that “them’s the brakes”, he also suggested he might return to frontbench politics with a reference to Roman leader Cincinnatus.
Earlier in the month, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner were cleared over the beergate scandal.
They offered to resign if police found they had broken lockdown rules by accompanying a campaign meeting in Durham with a beer and curry, but were cleared on 8 July.

England’s Lionesses celebrate their Euros victory in London
July was the month that England got behind its Lionesses at the European Championships, and football came home at Wembley with a 2-1 win over Germany.
The team appeared slightly worse for wear in bucket hats as they sang Sweet Caroline at their victory parade in London’s Trafalgar Square the following day.
One you might have missed: A study was published that the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea is the reason humans have grandparents.

As Britain’s parks and fields remained scorched brown from the heatwave, monster wildfires raged across Europe.
A report later found more than 5,000 square miles had been burnt.
Back in the UK, a long High Court battle between doctors and the family of a 12-year-old boy from Essex, Archie Battersbee, ended with his life support machine being turned off.
He had been ruled “brain stem dead” by medics after he was found unresponsive at home months before, but his family insisted he had shown signs of improvement.

Archie Battersbee’s mother Hollie Dance outside the Royal London Hospital
On 10 August, Dame Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy in the 1978 musical Grease, died aged 73 from cancer.
Her co-star John Travolta led tributes, signing his off: “Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John.”
Days later, the British-Indian author Sir Salman Rushdie was stabbed 12 times as he spoke on stage in New York.
Sir Salman lost the sight in one eye and the use of one of his hands in the attack. A 24-year-old man is still awaiting trial in the US.

Tributes to Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool
Back in the UK, the death of nine-year-old girl Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her own home in Liverpool shocked the nation. Thomas Cashman, 34, has been charged with her murder and her mother Cheryl’s attempted murder and will go on trial in 2023.
The month ended with outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson travelling to Kyiv to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv
One you might have missed: Two men on motorised surf boards were branded “idiots” by the mayor of Venice for speeding down the city’s famous canals.
Only licenced vehicles are permitted to use the waterways as concerns mount about foundations of buildings there.

September was arguably the biggest month in news the UK has seen in decades.
It started with Liz Truss beating Rishi Sunak to become prime minister and Conservative leader on 5 September.
Mr Sunak kept a low profile after his defeat – 43% to Ms Truss’s 57% – only to replace her as leader seven weeks later.
Ms Truss travelled to Balmoral to be formally appointed leader by the Queen – as opposed to Buckingham Palace – as is tradition.
The pair were pictured together in Scotland, with many commenting on Her Majesty’s frail appearance.

Liz Truss meets the Queen at Balmoral
Three days later on 8 September, business in the Commons was interrupted by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle announcing the Queen’s doctors were “concerned for her health” and she was “under medical supervision” at Balmoral.
Party leaders swiftly left the chamber and after hours of speculation, at around 6.30pm it was announced the Queen had died.
Flags dropped to half mast, not just in the UK, but around the world, and a period of national mourning was declared as King Charles’s reign began.
People queued throughout the day and night to observe Her Majesty’s coffin, with one man arrested for a public order offence for trying to grab it.

Queues to file past the Queen’s coffin in London

Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield faced a fierce backlash over allegations they were able to skip the long wait – in a row that became known as queuegate.
The funeral took place on 20 September, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning from their new lives in the US to pay tribute.

Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng at the Conservative Party conference
As day-to-day life returned to normal, just three days later the new PM Liz Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng revealed their “plan for growth”.
The mini-budget, as it became known, included a new price cap on energy, and huge tax cuts, but didn’t include a forecast of how the £45bn would be funded from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The Bank of England had to make an unprecedented intervention after it sent the pound and pension markets plummeting – and mortgage rates soaring.
One you may have missed: A 48-year-old man from Norfolk was jailed for life for murdering his neighbour over a row about noise from his motorbike. He told police: “Killing people isn’t always a bad thing.”

The mini-budget triggered a general lack of economic confidence in October, exacerbating the cost of living crisis that began earlier in the year and sending inflation to a record high of 11.1%.
Mortgage rates became almost unaffordable and house sales and purchases fell through.
On 3 October, the chancellor U-turned on one of his most controversial mini budget measures – a tax cut for the wealthiest 1%.
Elsewhere, Thailand experienced its worst ever mass killing when a sacked policeman killed 36 people, including dozens of children, at a day care centre on 3 October.

Coffins of the victims of a school shooting in Thailand
Back in the UK, the trial of former nurse Lucy Letby began in Manchester, where she denied murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others in her care between 2015 and 2016.
Harry Potter fans mourned the death of Hagrid actor Robbie Coltrane – and James Corden was forced to apologise after he was outed by a New York restaurateur for being rude.
On 15 October, Kwasi Kwarteng’s flight back from the US appeared to be delayed as rumours of his imminent sacking swirled.
He resigned later that day after just 38 days in the job.
When former health secretary Jeremy Hunt was appointed as his replacement, he quickly U-turned on almost all of the mini-budget measures.
Five days later, Liz Truss appeared outside Downing Street to resign – making her the shortest-serving PM in history.


After another five days, her former leadership rival Rishi Sunak replaced her.
And at the end of October, more than 150 people died in a crush at a Halloween event in Seoul, South Korea, and Twitter was bought by Elon Musk – beginning what has already been a chaotic new era at the social media company.
One you might have missed: Much-loved local radio presenter Tim Gough died live on air while broadcasting from his home in Suffolk. He was 55.

November began with the bizarre news that former health secretary Matt Hancock had signed up to be on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
He had the Conservative Party whip suspended as a result, but said he “hadn’t lost his marbles” and wanted to show that politicians are “real people”.
After suffering countless bushtucker trials and tense encounters about his handling of the pandemic with his campmates, he finished third and later announced he would be stepping down at the next election.

Matt Hancock on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here
Ousted Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was shot four times in the leg in what his supporters described as an assassination attempt.
The US midterms saw the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, while the Democrats maintained the Senate – having won Pennsylvania.
It took more than a month for the Georgia’s Senate result to be declared – with Democrat Raphael Warnock beating former American footballer and Donald Trump-backed Republican candidate Herschel Walker.
Mr Trump announced his intention to run for president again on 16 November – despite most of his candidates losing their races.

Awaab Ishak
On the same day in the UK, a coroner ruled that a two-year-old boy called Awaab Ishak had died of the effects of damp and mould in his family’s flat in Rotherham.
Politicians described it as a “defining moment” and “wake-up call” to improve social housing conditions.
The following day, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled his delayed autumn statement.

On 16 November, NASA launched the first stage of its historic Artemis mission to put humans back on the moon.
Four days later, amid much controversy over the country’s treatment of LGBTQ people and migrant workers, the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar.
Wales qualified for the first time since 1958 – but failed to make it through the group stages.

World Cup opening ceremony in Doha

Welsh players after their World Cup defeat
Elsewhere in football, Cristiano Ronaldo gave a TV interview where he slated Manchester United and its management, quickly sparking his departure from the club.
One you might have missed: An angler from Kidderminster showed off a 30kg giant goldfish he nicknamed “the carrot”, after he fished it out of a lake in France.

Three years of China’s strict zero COVID policy culminated in rare protests across the country in December.
Fears of a brutal crackdown came after people chanted “down with Xi Jinping” in the streets, but party officials ultimately relaxed restrictions.

Student protests at a university in Beijing
The Royal Family was rocked with fresh racism allegations when a London charity boss claimed she had been repeatedly asked “where in Africa” she was from at a Buckingham Palace reception.

Pic: Netflix
Lady Susan Hussey, one of the Queen’s longest-serving ladies-in-waiting, apologised and stepped down as a result.
The release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all Netflix documentary put further strain on the palace in December.

England fans after being knocked out of the World Cup

In Qatar, England were knocked out of the World Cup by France, who ultimately lost to Argentina in the final.
And in the US, scientists carried out the first ever nuclear fusion experiment to achieve a net energy gain, paving the way for a “clean energy source that could revolutionise the world”.
Snow fell across the UK, which compounded by strikes across travel, the NHS andpostal service, caused chaos.
Four boys, two brothers, their cousin and a friend, died after falling through a freezing lake in Solihull, West Midlands.

Snow in Blyth, Northumberland
One you might have missed: A man who murdered his wife in 1985 was the first in the UK to have his parole hearing held in public.
Russell Causley has always denied killing her and told the hearing he came home, where his mistress also lived, to find her dead. “It was a lovely summer’s day and my wife’s dead body was in the garage,” he said.
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UK
Man ‘seen with weapons’ detained in Leeds after three injured
Published
51 mins agoon
April 26, 2025By
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A man has been detained in Leeds after being “seen with weapons” and three people were left injured.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find three people injured and a man was detained at the scene, the force said. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers inside the cordon in Leeds

Officers guard one of the crime scenes

An ambulance inside one of the cordons
Inquiries are under way to establish the “wider circumstances” and a “number” of crime scenes remain in place, they added.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
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UK
Wrexham promoted for third season in a row under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Published
51 mins agoon
April 26, 2025By
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.

Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA

Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.

Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
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Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.

The Pope’s funeral is taking place today at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
A pope’s funeral traditionally brings world leaders together, and several were in attendance.
Watch full coverage of the Pope’s funeral live on Sky News from 8am
Here’s a look at the list.

Pic: Reuters
The Prince of Wales attended the funeral of Pope Francis on behalf of the King.
The King was in Rome with Queen Camilla earlier this month, and met the pontiff at the Vatican.
The trip came just a week-and-a-half after Buckingham Palace confirmed the King had been taken to hospital following side effects related to his ongoing cancer treatment.

Pic: AP
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0:54
Pope’s coffin passes Colosseum after Vatican service
Number 10 confirmed the prime minister received an invite and so he attended the ceremony.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sir Keir said there had been “an outpouring of grief and love” for the Pope.
He added: “I think it 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.”

Pic: Reuters
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0:38
Trump pays respects to Pope
The US president was one of the first to confirm he would be flying to Rome, adding he would be joined by first lady Melania Trump.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday, he said: “Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!”
The Pope had been critical of Mr Trump at times during his tenure.
In January, he said it would be a “disgrace” if the president went ahead with his crackdown on immigration, telling an Italian television station: “It would make the migrants, who have nothing, pay the unpaid bill.
“It doesn’t work. You don’t resolve problems this way.”

The Ukrainian president was with his wife. Pic: Reuters
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0:39
Applause breaks out as Zelenskyy arrives
The Ukrainian president, who met the Pope three times, was also in attendance – and there was an outbreak of applause for him when he arrived.
Mr Zelenskyy has said his country is grieving the Pope and recalled how he often prayed for peace in Ukraine.

President Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte. Pic: Reuters
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Emmauel Macron pays his respects
The French President Emmanuel Macron also attended the funeral with his wife Brigitte.
In his tribute on Monday, Mr Macron said of the Pope: “In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (right) arrives for the funeral. Pic: AP
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Scale of funeral service from above
The Italian premier, along Argentine leader Javier Milei (below) had place of pride in the seating order for the service.
The Vatican is, of course, surrounded by the Italian capital Rome, while the Pope was born and grew up in Argentina and was once Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Pic: Reuters
The president of Pope Francis’s native Argentina was also at the ceremony, despite having launched insults at Francis in recent years.
Before taking office in December 2023, the far-right politician called him “an imbecile, the representative of evil on Earth”.
Mr Milei alluded to their “differences” in his tribute to the late Pope, writing: “It is with profound sorrow that I learned this sad morning that Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, passed away today and is now resting in peace.
“Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honour for me.”

Pic: Reuters
Former US president Joe Biden, 82, was at the funeral with his wife Jill. The couple were seen taking their places in the bright sunshine prior to the service.
Mr Biden appeared to be getting some help to his seat, taking the arm of a member of the church.

Pic: Reuters
The Brazilian president and first lady Janja Lula da Silva were also at the funeral.
Brazil had also declared a seven-day mourning period for the Pope.
“Humanity is today losing a voice of respect and welcome for others,” the president said in his tribute.
“Pope Francis lived and propagated in his daily life the love, tolerance and solidarity that are the basis of Christian
teachings.”

Pic: Reuters
The EU Commission President confirmed she was attending after calling Francis a worldwide inspiration.
“He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” she said in her tribute.
Council President Antonio Costa, Parliament President Roberta Metsola was also expected to be in attendance.
Read more:
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Full order of service
‘Unprecedented’ security operation for funeral
Who could be the next pope?
Here are some of the other notable attendees:
• Ireland’s taoiseach Micheal Martin
• Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia
• Albanian president Bajram Begaj
• Angola’s president Joao Lourenco
• Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen
• Bangladesh’s chief adviser and interim leader Muhammad Yunus
• Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, along with prime minister Bart De Wever
• Canada’s governor general Mary Simon
• Cape Verde president Jose Maria Neves
• Croatia’s president Zoran Milanovic
• Cyprian president Nikos Christodoulides
• Czech Republic’s prime minister Petr Fiala
• Democratic Republic of Congo president Felix Tshisekedi
• Dominican Republic’s president Luis Abinader
• East Timor’s president Jose Ramos-Horta
• Ecuador’s president Daniel Noboa
• Estonia’s president Alar Karis
• Finland’s president Alexander Stubb
• Gabon’s president Brice Oligui Nguema
• German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz
• Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
• Honduras president Xiomara Castro
• Hungary’s president Tamas Sulyok
• Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Giorgia Meloni
• Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics
• Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda
• Moldova’s president Maia Sandu
• Netherlands’ prime minister Dick Schoof
• New Zealand’s prime minister Christopher Luxon
• Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• The Philippines’ president Ferdinand Marcos Jr
• Poland’s president Andrzej Duda
• Portugal’s president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and prime minister Luis Montenegro
• Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan
• Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and prime minister Ulf Kristersson
• Switzerland’s president Karin Keller-Sutter
Who was not there?

Pope Francis walks next to Putin at the Vatican in 2015. Pic: AP
The Russian president did not attend the funeral.
But the controversial leader paid tribute to the Pope, writing a message to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is interim chief of the Catholic Church.
“Please accept my most sincere condolences on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis,” Mr Putin said.
“Throughout the years of his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian
Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, as well as constructive cooperation between Russia and the Holy See.”

Pope Francis and Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the Vatican in 2013. Pic: AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not attend the ceremony, with the country’s ambassador Yaron Sideman going instead.
The Jewish state and the Vatican have had strong relations in the past, with Israel sending a presidential delegation to the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, and Pope Francis visiting Israel in 2014.
But their relationship has deteriorated since the start of the war in Gaza.
A month after the conflict started in 2023, a dispute broke out over whether Pope Francis had used the word “genocide” to describe events in Gaza. Palestinians who met with him said he did, but the Vatican said he did not.
The Pope met relatives of Israeli hostages on the same day.
Israeli officials have since lobbied the Vatican to be more forceful in its condemnation of Hamas.
In January, the Pope called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “shameful”, prompting criticism from Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, who accused Francis of “selective indignation”.
Rabbi Di Segni said he would be attending the funeral, despite it taking place on the Jewish sabbath.
Was there a seating plan?
The seats were assigned in advance, with the heads of state sitting in French alphabetical order based on their country’s name, rather than on the individual’s.
This applied to everyone apart from the presidents of Italy and Argentina, who got the best seats because the Pope lived in Italy and was an Argentinian native.
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