.jpg) King Charles III and Queen Camilla exiting the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls following the ceremony which awarded the King the title of "Royal Confrater", held on 23 October 2025 | |
| Date | 22 to 23 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Vatican City |
| Type | State visit |
| Participants | King Charles III Queen Camilla |
King Charles III of theUnited Kingdom and his wifeQueen Camilla made astate visit to Vatican City on 22 and 23 October 2025.
During this visit,Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed together. This marked the first time a Pope and a British monarch prayed together in the last 500 years.
The King and Queen had originally planned to undertake a state visit to the Holy See in April 2025, alongsidetheir state visit to the Italian Republic. However, due to the declining health ofPope Francis, the Vatican portion was reduced to a small private visit at his bedside. Francis died shortly afterwards, before a longer visit could be arranged.[1]
The rescheduled visit in October was the first time the King had met Pope Leo XIV, who was elected in May as the 267th successor of St Peter.Buckingham Palace said the trip would "celebrate the ecumenical work by theChurch of England and theCatholic Church, reflectingthe jubilee year's theme of walking together as pilgrims of hope".[2]
The King and Queen were formally welcomed by representatives from the Holy See atCiampino 31st Wing Airport on Wednesday evening.[3]
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On 23 October 2025, the King and Queen had a private audience with Pope Leo XIV in theApostolic Palace.[4] During the meeting, the King appointed Pope Leo an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Bath, and the Pope in turn awarded theOrder of Pope Pius IX, Charles becoming a Knight with Collar and Camilla a Dame Grand Cross.[5] Later, the King and Pope Leo XIV prayed together during anecumenical service in theSistine Chapel, marking the joining of hands between the Catholic Church and Church of England in a celebration of ecumenism.[6]
That afternoon, accompanied by the Queen, the King attended a service at theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, where he was given the title of "Royal Confrater".[7] In return Leo was awarded the title ofPapal Confrater of St. George's Chapel inWindsor Castle.[8] The titles symbolise the growingecumenical friendship between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church.[9] Amongst those present there wereAbbot Donato Ogliari;CardinalArchpriest of thePapal BasilicaJames Michael Harvey; theArchbishop of York and Primate of England,Stephen Cottrell; and the Moderator of theGeneral Assembly of the Church of Scotland,Rosie Frew.[7] The King then attended a garden reception in celebration of the day's ecumenical services at thePontifical Beda College, and met groups of traineepriests from across theCommonwealth, British nationals working in the Vatican, and Commonwealth Ambassadors to the Holy See,[10] while the Queen met with a group ofCatholic Sisters representing theInternational Union of Superiors General (UISG), and expressed her deep admiration for their service to accompany people living in conditions of conflict, poverty, and displacement across the world.[11]
Media outlets worldwide have widely emphasised the significant historical importance of this visit, particularly its impact on the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England.The Guardian commented that the King and Pope praying together in the Sistine Chapel was a symbolic act of rapprochement between the Catholic Church and the Church of England after centuries of division.[12] Father Martin Browne, an official of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, toldVatican News that the King's visit demonstrated the closeness between the Anglican and Catholic churches.[13]AP News suggested the King's visit would mark a historic step in the path of unity between the two churches.[14]
Born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955
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