Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the King and Queen's historic state visit to Vatican City will take place from 22 to 23 October. The couple will join Pope Leo XIV, elected earlier this year following the death of Pope Francis to celebrate the 2025 jubilee year for the Catholic Church.
It will be Charles and Camilla's first meeting with Pope Leo XIV since his election in May 2025, marking a significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which the King is Supreme Governor. The role dates back to Henry VIII, who named himself Supreme Head of the Church of England after he was excommunicated by the pope, Pope Paul III, and broke from the Catholic Church in the 16th century to marry Anne Boleyn.
Charles is set to make history during the visit as he will pray together with the Pope in a unique ecumenical service at the Sistine Chapel – the first such occasion in many centuries. Camilla will then join her husband for a further ecumenical service in the Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls. Ecumenical relates to the promotion of unity and cooperation among different Christian churches or denominations.
Charles and Camilla's programme
The King and Queen will meet Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace, after which Charles will meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's Secretary of State, while Camilla will view the Pauline Chapel, which houses Michelangelo's last two paintings of St Peter and St Paul.
The pair, along with the Pope, will attend a special ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel. His Holiness and His Majesty will then join a meeting on sustainability in the Sala Regia while Her Majesty will meet members of the choir.
Following the visit to the Holy See, in a historic step, the King, accompanied by the Queen, will also visit the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul's Outside the Walls. His Majesty has agreed to The Pope's suggestion that he become 'Royal Confrater' of the Abbey. This gift of 'confraternity' is a recognition of spiritual fellowship. In further celebration of this new bond, the Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls has created a special seat for His Majesty, which will remain in the Basilica as a perpetual mark of mutual respect between Pope Leo and His Majesty as Heads of State. The special chair is decorated with The King's Coat of Arms. The King will use this chair during the service, after which it will remain in the apse of the Basilica for future use by Charles and his heirs and successors.
After the St Paul's Outside the Walls visit, Charles will attend a reception at The Pontifical Beda College, a seminary which trains priests from across the Commonwealth, meeting students and members of the British and Vatican community. Meanwhile, Camilla will meet six Catholic Sisters from The International Union of Superiors General, who are working around the world at the grassroots level to support female empowerment, through girls' education programmes, improved access to healthcare, climate action, peace building and tackling sexual violence and human trafficking.
Last meeting with Pope Francis
The King and Queen had a meeting with the late Pope Francis just 12 days before his death. Their historic state visit to the Vatican in early April was cancelled because of the Pope's poor health, but they managed to visit the head of the Roman Catholic Church privately during their trip to Italy. Charles and Camilla's meeting with the Pope in what would be his final weeks was arranged at the last minute and took place on their 20th wedding anniversary on 9 April, with the pontiff wanting to personally wish them a happy anniversary.