King Charles to meet Pope Leo XIV on rearranged Vatican visit
Royal couple to meet Pope Leo XIV in October during a Vatican state visit, highlighting Anglican–Catholic ties as the Catholic Church marks a jubilee year and after the pope's death.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will meet Pope Leo XIV as part of a state visit to the Vatican in October, Buckingham Palace said.
The rearranged visit comes after a previously planned Vatican trip was postponed earlier this year because of concerns over the pope's health. The palace said the visit would emphasise the long-standing friendship between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which the king is the supreme governor.
The couple had a brief private meeting with Pope Francis in April during their state visit to Italy on their 20th wedding anniversary. The 20-minute encounter at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta came as Francis was convalescing, and Buckingham Palace said the couple were deeply touched by his kind remarks about their milestone.
Following Francis's death, the Catholic Church elected a new pope, with Robert Prevost born in Chicago taking the name Pope Leo XIV after the conclave. The change in leadership comes as the Vatican enters a new chapter under the pontificate of Leo XIV.
Details for the October visit have not yet been announced, but it will occur during the Catholic Church’s jubilee year, a 25-year cycle marked by the theme "pilgrims of hope." The move to arrange a reconfigured papal audience underscores the monarchy’s long-standing effort to build bridges between faith communities and to sustain dialogue between Anglican and Catholic traditions.
In recent weeks, the royal family has engaged in other Catholic-focused events. Earlier this month, the first Catholic funeral for a member of the Royal Family in modern times was held for the Duchess of Kent, with the King and Queen attending her Requiem Mass. The King also visited the Oratory of St Philip Neri in Birmingham, founded by St John Henry Newman; the King, then Prince of Wales, had previously attended Newman’s canonisation in Rome in 2019. These engagements reflect the Crown’s ongoing engagement with Catholic history and figures central to Catholic education and thought.
As the October appointment approaches, Buckingham Palace officials said the aim of the visit would be to reinforce shared values on faith, service, and the role of religious institutions in public life, while maintaining appropriate ceremonial and constitutional boundaries. No further details about the schedule or formal program have been disclosed, and the palace will release information as arrangements are confirmed.
World watchers note that the Vatican’s Jubilee year and the new papal leadership add significance to the Charles–Camilla visit, illustrating how diplomacy and faith can intersect at a moment of transition for both institutions. The royal couple’s ongoing engagement with interfaith dialogue continues to be a hallmark of their public service, with this rearranged Vatican visit framed as a pledge of continued cooperation and mutual respect among different faith communities.