King Charles puts Prince Andrew drama to one side as he arrives in Rome for Vatican visit
The 76-year-old monarch was presented to Pope Benedict XIV in the Sistine Chapel on the occasion of the 2025 ‘Jubilee Year’ of the Catholic Church. He will attend the ecumenical ceremony to be held together with Leo.
Buckingham Palace, VIII. He said it was the first time since Henry VIII’s Reformation in the 1530s that a monarch and Head of the Church of England had participated in a public act of worship with the leader of the Catholic Church.
And in recognition of his lifelong campaigns for interfaith harmony, Pope Leo inducted Charles into the Papal Basilica and St. Paul Without the Walls. The ‘Royal Brother’ of St. Paul’s Monastery will do so.
The gift of ‘brotherhood’ is the recognition of spiritual friendship; ‘brotherhood’ means brother in Latin.
To further celebrate this new bond, a special seat was created for His Majesty, which will remain in the Basilica as a permanent sign of mutual respect between Pope Leo and the King as Heads of State.
The special chair will be decorated with His Majesty’s Coat of Arms and will be used by the King during the ceremony, after which it will remain in the apse of the Basilica for future use by the monarch and his heirs and successors.
The King’s brief visit with Queen Camilla will take place on Wednesday and Thursday but is still full of symbols.
This will be their first meeting with Pope Leo since his election in May. The couple met briefly with the previous incumbent, Pope Francis, during their visit in April, but had to cancel some planned meetings due to his health.
King Charles and Queen Camilla get off the plane as they arrive at the airport ahead of their visit to the Vatican
Royal Air Force VIP Voyager carrying King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrives at Ciampino Airport
The King’s brief visit to Queen Camilla will take place on Wednesday and Thursday but is still full of symbolism.
Traditionally celebrated every 25 years, the Jubilee is a special time for the Catholic Church.
The visit will also be an important moment in relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which Her Majesty is Supreme Governor.
Buckingham Palace said this would be the first State Visit since the Reformation “in which the Pope and the Monarch will pray together in an ecumenical ceremony in the Sistine Chapel, and the first time the Monarch will attend a service in a church at St Paul’s Outside the Walls, a church with historic links to the British Crown.”
The King and Queen will meet with Pope Leo as well as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the Apostolic Palace.
Their Royal Highnesses will also see the Pauline Chapel, where Michelangelo’s last two frescoes of St. Peter and St. Paul are located.
Both the King and Queen will then join the Pope for a special ecumenical ceremony in the Sistine Chapel, focusing on the theme ‘Care for Creation’.
This reflects Pope Leo and His Majesty’s commitment to the protection of Nature and their concern for the environment.
The 76-year-old monarch met Pope Benedict XIV in the Sistine Chapel on the occasion of the 2025 ‘Jubilee year’ of the Catholic Church. He will attend the ecumenical ceremony to be held together with Leo.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were beaming as they stepped off their plane in Rome tonight
The Children of the Royal Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel and the Windsor St George’s Chapel Choir will sing along with the Sistine Chapel Choir during the service.
The Queen will remain in the Sistine Chapel after the ceremony to meet the choirs, while the King and Pope will attend a meeting on sustainability before Their Majesties officially depart.
In another important and historical step, the couple built the Papal Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls. He will visit Paul’s Monastery.
One of the four major Papal Basilicas, it is the one most closely associated with the ecumenical commitment of the Catholic Church and has historical ties with the British Crown.
For centuries, the Priory’s heraldic shield has been flanked by the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the United Kingdom’s highest order of chivalry.
Before leaving, King Charles will attend a reception at The Pontifical Beda College, a seminary that trains priests from across the Commonwealth and meets with students and members of the British and Vatican communities.
Meanwhile, Her Majesty will meet six Catholic Sisters from the International Association of General Superiors, who work at a grassroots level around the world to support women’s empowerment through girls’ education programmes, better access to healthcare, climate action, peacebuilding and combating sexual violence and human trafficking.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘At a time of global instability and conflict, the UK’s relationship with the Holy See is more important than ever and this historic State Visit will be an important moment to strengthen that relationship.
‘The Holy See has been a key actor on the international stage promoting peace, taking effective measures to combat climate change and promoting human dignity.
The Catholic Church is the largest denomination of the world’s largest religion; It is the world’s largest provider of non-governmental education, educating 68 million students worldwide, and provides a quarter of the world’s healthcare services.
‘Her Majesty’s visit will therefore strengthen the UK’s relationship with this important and influential partner and help deliver the Government’s priorities, from promoting peace and security around the world to working with our international partners to tackle climate change.’
