King Charles and Queen Camilla will pay a state visit to the Holy See next month, Buckingham Palace has announced, making a trip which was previously postponed in April due to the failing health of the late Pope Francis.
The royals had been scheduled to visit the Vatican as part of a wider tour of Italy, but the visit was postponed on medical advice after Pope Francis was told to rest.
They were, however, able to meet the late pope for a private audience, becoming among the last dignitaries to see him before his death a couple of weeks later.
As part of the re-arranged visit, King Charles and Queen Camilla will join Pope Leo XIV to mark celebrations for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, according to Buckingham Palace.
The visit will also celebrate the ecumenical work of the Church of England and the Catholic Church, while British media have reported that it will include a visit to the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
Charles, who as British monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which split from Rome in 1534, has previously met Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.