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King Charles to pay state visit to Vatican to see Pope Leo
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 26, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 26, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV, marking the 2025 Catholic Holy Year and celebrating ecumenical efforts.
LONDON (Reuters) -King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will pay a state visit to the Holy See next month, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday, making a trip which they had been forced to cancel in April because of the failing health of the late Pope Francis.
The British royals were due to visit the Vatican as part of a wider tour of Italy but it was postponed on the medical advice after Francis was told to rest.
They were able to see to the late pope for a private meeting, becoming one of the final dignitaries to see him before his death a couple of weeks later.
As part of the re-arranged visit, they will join Pope Leo XIV to mark celebrations for 2025 Catholic Holy Year, Buckingham Palace said.
The visit will also celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, it said, while British media have previously reported that it would include a visit to the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
Charles, who as British king is the supreme governor of the Church of England which split from Rome in 1534, has also met Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by William James)
King Charles and Queen Camilla will pay a state visit to the Holy See next month.
The visit was postponed on medical advice after Pope Francis was told to rest.
The visit will celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, as well as mark the celebrations for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year.
King Charles will join Pope Leo XIV during the visit to mark the celebrations.
As British king, Charles is the supreme governor of the Church of England, which split from Rome in 1534.
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