Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make a state visit to the Vatican at the end of October, where they will be received by Pope Leo XIV. The meeting takes place in the framework of the 2025 Jubilee Year and will be the first time that the British monarchs officially meet with the new pontiff.
A trip postponed due to the death of Francis
The visit was initially scheduled for April of this year, but it was postponed due to the worsening health of Pope Francis, who passed away shortly after. On that occasion, Charles and Camilla were able to meet briefly with him at Casa Santa Marta, in a private meeting. Now, the trip resumes in the form of an official visit, with all the corresponding diplomatic ceremonial.
Agenda and ecumenical significance
According to Buckingham Palace, the purpose of the trip is “to celebrate the ecumenical work of the Church of England and the Catholic Church” and to emphasize the Jubilee’s motto as “pilgrims of hope”. Although the full details of the agenda have not yet been released, the audience with Leo XIV will be the central point of the trip.
The meeting acquires a particular symbolic value given that Charles III, as British monarch, is at the same time the supreme head of the Anglican Church, born from the schism with Rome in the 16th century. In that context, every protocolary gesture is inevitably read in an ecumenical key.
A diplomatic act
Charles visited the Vatican several times as Prince of Wales, but this will be his first visit as king. Both from London and from Rome, the trip is presented as a sign of dialogue and cooperation. The visit, therefore, will be interpreted as a new diplomatic gesture that strengthens the institutional bond.