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King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla visit ailing Pope Francis in the Vatican during a tour of Italy, following in Queen Elizabeth’s footsteps. The King of the UK and the Commonwealth embarked on a history-making state visit to Italy this week. The four-day tour, which marked the monarch’s 17th official visit to the country, coincided with his twentieth wedding anniversary, and the couple spent it in the most memorable way. King Charles’ trip saw him visit the Presidential Palace, where he met with Italian president Sergio Mattarella. He also made a stop at the Victor Emmanuel Monument in the heart of Rome, the Archaeological Park at the Colosseum, as well as the Palazzo Madama, where he spoke before a joint session of Parliament, making him the first British Monarch to do so.
While these honored visits were in line with the royals’ planned tour schedule, King Charles and Queen Camilla made one surprise stop at the Vatican, meeting with Pope Francis. The Pope received the British royals at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, his go-to meeting place since his latest hospital stint.
King Charles and Queen Camilla Delighted After Pope Visit
A statement from the Holy See Press Office confirmed the meeting on Wednesday afternoon, revealing that His Holiness expressed “his best wishes to Their Majesties” on their Wedding anniversary. The pope also reciprocated the monarch’s wishes for a speedy recovery amid his cancer battle and recent complications.
Buckingham Palace also released a statement on behalf of King Charles and Queen Camilla in the wake of the Pope’s visit. In the statement, the King and Queen expressed their delight at the chance to “share their best wishes in person.” They also felt delighted that Pope Francis was well enough to host them, having previously canceled visitation plans due to his ill health and hospitalization last month.
Royal fans have since reacted to the monarch’s visit to the head of the Catholic church despite previous religious opposition to the Church of England stemming from the 16th century English Reformation under King Henry VIII. Reacting to King Charles and Camilla’s visit to Pope Francis, one royal fan wrote,
“The Church of England getting back in communion with the Catholic Church was not on my 2025 bingo card, but I have to admit a lot of things were not on my 2025 bingo card.”
Another reacted,
“Queen Elizabeth seemed to get on with the Popes, so this is continuing that.”
Fans Deem King Charles’ Vatican Visit a Gesture of Peace After Queen Elizabeth’s Run
Netizens also considered the historic visit an indication of the end of pre-existing religious conflicts and the onset of a new, more peaceful era. Referencing the 30 Years’ War, a term that refers to the European conflict between 1618 and 1648, marked by tensions between Catholics and protestants, one Reddit user wrote,
“The Church of England is probably closer to the Roman Catholic Church than some nutjobs in the US anyway (both American protestant and Catholics). Long gone are the days of the 30 Years’ War.”
While this visit marks King Charles’ first meeting with the Pope, his late mom, Queen Elizabeth II, had an impressive papal record. Notably, the late Queen, who was England’s longest-serving monarch, met five popes in her lifetime, including Pope Francis. Her record includes a meeting with Pope Pius XII in 1951, during her tour of Rome just a year before becoming Queen. Her next papal encounter was with Pope John XXII in 1961 at the Apostolic Palace, along with her husband, Prince Philip. She met Pope John Paul II on three occasions, including his historic visit to Buckingham Palace in 1982, which marked to first time a reigning Pope would set foot in Britain. Queen Elizabeth also had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI during his four-day UK tour in 2020.
King Charles’ decision to visit the reigning pope during his tour of Italy honors a precedent set by his late mom, and dad, Prince Philip, who accompanied her on these visits. Coincidentally, the meeting took place on April 9, the 4th anniversary of Prince Philip’s death.
