World leaders to be seated according to Vatican protocols and the French alphabet.

The dozens of world leaders and heads of state attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday morning will be seated according to strict Vatican protocols.

Dignitaries will sit on the the right-hand side of the square, facing St Peter's, with cardinals and members of the Church seated on the other side.

Argentina's president Javier Milei, who prior to his election in 2023 called Francis an "imbecile" before reconciling with the late Argentine pontiff, will take pride of place in the front row.

Next in the pecking order is Italy, whose president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Giorgia Meloni will also be seated in the front row, along with reigning monarchs including King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.

• What to know about Pope Francis funeral

The complicated seating plan is dictated by the French language, which replaced Latin as the official language of the Holy See's diplomatic relations by the 18th century.

This means that US president Donald Trump will be seated under "E" for Etats Unis - not "U" for United States - near French president Emmanuel Macron but far away from Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump will also have to contend with former US president Joe Biden will be in attendance but is expected to be seated further back in the VIP section.

Up to 170 foreign delegations are expected at the funeral, with at least 200,000 people set to flock to St Peter's Square, according to police estimates, with security at a maximum in Rome.

Around a million people are set to line the route of the funeral procession through the streets of Rome, held at a walking pace, from St Peter's to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore where Pope Francis will be buried.

Image: The Vatican prepares the VIP seats in St Peter's Square ahead of Pope Francis' funeral, dawn on 25 April 2025. Photo Paul Mahoney.