England captain Maro Itoje was absent from Monday's Six Nations Championship launch in Edinburgh, having been granted leave to attend his mother's funeral in Nigeria.
The 97-time capped England second row announced via Instagram last week that his mother, Florence, had died in December.
Florence was a regular presence at her son's matches.
Itoje also missed the Saracens' Premiership fixture against Newcastle on Saturday to travel to Africa for the service.
The 31-year-old is scheduled to rejoin his teammates at England's pre-tournament training camp in Girona late on Wednesday.
This move will allow time ahead of the opening fixture against Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on February 7.
Jamie George, who Itoje succeeded as England skipper, represented his teammate at the Edinburgh launch.
The Saracens hooker understands the weight of such loss intimately, having lost his own mother Jane to cancer during the 2024 Six Nations.
Maro Itoje was absent from Monday's Six Nations Championship launch in Edinburgh
|GETTY
George said: "We've spoken a lot. The parallels are scary, really. It's heartbreaking news. I know how much of a difficult time he's going through.
"My biggest message to him was to make sure he gives himself enough time to grieve and to process things."
George expressed confidence that Itoje would return fully prepared for the Wales clash, determined to make his family proud.
Steve Borthwick, who was part of Eddie Jones' coaching staff when Itoje made his Test debut against Italy in 2016, spoke of the emotional toll on his captain.
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Jamie George, who Itoje succeeded as England skipper, represented his teammate at the Edinburgh launch
|GETTY
The head coach said: "We are all deeply saddened for him. It has been incredibly challenging for him and his family.
"Being in Nigeria this week is an important step for him and everyone close to him."
Borthwick, who installed Itoje as captain ahead of last year's Six Nations, praised the second row's leadership qualities.
He added: "He's developed to be a really powerful captain. We look forward to having him back with us."
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George acknowledged the team finds itself in a strong position following 11 consecutive victories, but insisted complacency would be their enemy.
He said: "We know that if we are the same team as we were for the last 11 games, it's not going to be good enough, so our focus over the next two weeks is to become a better team."
The Six Nations marks the beginning of a gruelling schedule for Borthwick's side, who face trips to South Africa and Argentina during the summer's new Nations Championship.
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