King Charles will become the first British monarch to publicly pray with the Pope in 500 years
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will hold a historic meeting at the Vatican next week, where the British sovereign will become the first monarch in five centuries to publicly pray with the Pope, marking a symbolic moment in relations between the Anglican and Catholic Churches.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will have a meeting with Pope Leon PHOTO: Profimedia
The King and Queen will meet on Thursday, at the Apostolic Palace, with the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, during the official visit to the Vatican City. The central moment of the visit will be a special ecumenical service in the dedicated Sistine Chapel “unity and cooperation between different Christian churches“.
According to Buckingham Palace, King Charles will become the first British monarch to publicly pray with a pope since the 16th-century Reformation, when in 1534 King Henry VIII broke ties with Rome and declared himself head of the Church of England.
Symbolic gesture and ecumenical recognition
During the visit, the King will also receive the honorary title of “Royal Confratern” of the Abbey of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, a gesture that emphasizes the historical links between the British monarchy and this papal basilica, reports Sky News.
The abbot of the community and the archbishop of the basilica sought the Pope's consent to confer the title, and a special chair decorated with the royal coat of arms was created for the ceremony. The sovereign will use it during the service, after which it will remain in the apse of the basilica to be used by him and his successors.
Until the Reformation, the kings of England had a close relationship with the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, also known as a place of reconciliation and dialogue between Christian denominations.
A spokesman for the Church of England said the new title “it confers neither powers nor obligations on the King, and in no way alters his constitutional and ecclesiastical position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. It is rather a tribute to His Majesty and the decades-long efforts to find common ground between faiths and unite people“.
Shared commitment to nature and peace
The visit takes place within the Jubilee Year 2025 of the Catholic Church, held under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. The King and the Pope will participate in a service dedicated to the protection of the environment, entitled “Care for Creation”as well as a meeting focused on sustainability.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: “At a time of increasing instability and conflict, Britain's relationship with the Holy See is more important than ever. The Holy See is an essential international actor. We work together to promote human dignity, peace and combat climate change… Her Majesty's visit will strengthen this crucial and influential relationship”.
Continuing a royal tradition
Queen Elizabeth II was the first post-Reformation British monarch to make an official visit to the Vatican in 1961. In April this year, a planned visit was postponed due to Pope Francis' health problems, but the King and Queen then met privately with him in Rome.
Pope Leo XIV and King Charles are understood to have worked closely together on the rescheduling of the visit, jointly setting out its themes and major events.
