King Charles III is set to make history next week as the first British monarch in half a millennium to join a pope in public prayer during a visit to the Vatican City.
The 76-year-old monarch will participate in an ecumenical service at the Sistine Chapel alongside Pope Leo XIV, as part of the Catholic Church’s celebrations for the 2025 Jubilee Year.
According to Buckingham Palace, this marks the first time since Henry VIII’s Reformation in the 1530s that a reigning British sovereign—and Head of the Church of England—has taken part in a public act of worship with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
In recognition of his long-standing commitment to interfaith dialogue and unity, Pope Leo will confer upon King Charles the honorary title of “Royal Confrater” of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.
To commemorate the occasion, a special seat adorned with the King’s Coat of Arms has been crafted for His Majesty’s use during the service. The chair will remain permanently in the Basilica’s apse as a lasting symbol of mutual respect and friendship between the two spiritual and state leaders—and for future use by the monarch’s successors.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will make the two-day visit on Wednesday and Thursday, their first meeting with Pope Leo XIV since his election in May. The royal couple previously met Pope Francis during a visit in April but had to cancel additional events due to his ill health.
Traditionally observed every 25 years, the Jubilee Year is a sacred period of renewal and reconciliation for the Catholic Church.
Buckingham Palace described the upcoming service as a moment of “historic significance” for relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, noting that it will be the first State Visit since the Reformation in which both the Pope and the Monarch will pray together in an ecumenical service.
The King and Queen are also scheduled to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, in the Apostolic Palace, while Her Majesty will tour the Pauline Chapel, home to Michelangelo’s final frescoes depicting St. Peter and St. Paul.
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