LONDON, April 8: Britain’s Prince Charles, attending the Pope’s funeral, shook hands on Friday with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe — a leader so shunned by the European Union that it has banned him from the region.

“The Prince of Wales was caught by surprise and wasn’t in a position to avoid shaking Mr Mugabe’s hand,” a spokeswoman for the prince said.

The EU imposed travel sanctions on Zimbabwean government officials after accusations of vote rigging in Zimbabwe’s parliamentary polls in 2000.

But Mr Mugabe, a Roman Catholic, defied the ban to attend the funeral at the Vatican, which is not part of the European Union.

The handshake with Mr Mugabe was the latest mishap to befall Prince Charles on the eve of his wedding. He had been due to marry his lifelong love Camilla Parker Bowles on Friday, but postponed the wedding to Saturday so he could attend the funeral.—Reuters