The Prince of Wales bowed to the inevitable today and agreed to postpone by a day his long-awaited wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles so that he – and the Prime Minister and Archbishop of Canterbury – can attend Friday’s funeral of Pope John Paul II.

The decision will ensure that the three pillars of established power in Britain – Church, Crown and Parliament – will all be properly represented when up to four million mourners gather to mark the Pope's passing. Other world leaders to due attend the ceremony include President Bush, President Chirac and Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General.

Several hours of frantic phone calls followed this morning’s news that the Pope’s funeral would be held at 9am on Friday, five hours before Prince Charles and Ms Parker Bowles were due to marry at a register office in Windsor.

Clarence House, already reeling from a series of embarrassing constitutional hitches in its preparations for the wedding, was under intense pressure to take the step of delaying the wedding, and finally announced: "It [the funeral] must take priority. Diaries are being rescheduled to fit the royal wedding in on Saturday."

The Prince took the decision with Mrs Parker Bowles after returning early from his skiing trip in the Swiss Alps, Clarence House said.

No new time has been finalised although the ceremony will have to be fitted around three other civil ceremonies at the Guildhall in Windsor on Saturday. Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will lead a prayer blessing held at St George’s Chapel, inside Windsor Castle, shortly afterwards.

The Prince’s decision to delay his big day also came as a relief in Downing Street, where Mr Blair, an Anglican with known Catholic leanings, faced a dilemma. A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is now very glad he is able to go to both events."

Prince Charles and his bride-to-be were among hundreds of VIP guests and Catholics to attend a service of prayer for the Pope in London today.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, paid tribute to the late pontiff as "one of history’s greatest Christians.

Wearing a blue suit and black tie, Charles made no comment to waiting reporters as he entered Westminster Cathedral. Mrs Parker Bowles wore a black jacket and skirt, black hat, high heels and black gloves.

The Royal couple arrived shortly after Mr Blair, who attended the service with his wife, Cherie.

They were joined in the congregation by other VIPs and politicians including Baroness Thatcher, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, House of Commons speaker Michael Martin.

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