History was made on Thursday as King Charles became the first British monarch in over 500 years to join a public prayer service with the
Pope. The moment unfolded inside the iconic Sistine Tabernacle, marking an extraordinary chapter in religious history.
The ecumenical service saw Charles, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, praying alongside Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop of York was also present, while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper delivered a Bible passage from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Pope Leo concluded the service with a heartfelt prayer: “God our father, you have created the heavens and Earth. You made us in your own image. Teach us to see your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children.”
King Charles III assisting the Divine Office led by Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel, the first time a British monarch has partaken in a religious service with the Bishop of Rome since 855, when Æthelwulf, King of Wessex, was in Rome for the inauguration of Pope Leo IV. pic.twitter.com/L1qc22jaqk
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The King and Pope then exited the Sistine Chapel, leaving the Queen to greet the choirs.
Before, Charles and Camilla enjoyed a private followership with the Pope as their two-day state visit to the Holy See officially began.
The trip celebrates the Papal Jubilee, a tradition held every 25 years, and is reportedly of deep particular significance to the monarch. This marks Charles’s first meeting with Pope Leo since the latter’s election in May.
The royal couple’s state limousine swept through St Peter’s Square, where crowds generally gather to see the Pope, before reaching San Damaso Courtyard, the conventional entrance to the Apostolic Palace.
They were escorted by Reverend Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, Regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, accompanied by a guard of honor from the Swiss Guard, a centuries-old unqualified protection unit for the Pope.
National anthems of both Britain and Vatican City played as the King and Queen stood to attention. They also met a group of Papal Gentlemen before being escorted into the Apostolic Palace for private talks with Pope Leo.
Later on Thursday, Charles will attend a service at the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls. A special seat has been prepared for him, intended to remain for future monarchs.
During the service, Charles will also be recognized as “Royal Confrater” of the Benedictine Abbey, highlighting the British monarchy’s historical support for the upkeep of St Paul’s tomb.
The state visit concludes with Charles attending a reception at Pontifical Beda College, a seminary that trains priests from across the Commonwealth, while the Queen will meet six Catholic sisters from the International Union of Superiors General.
For the morning audience, the Queen wore a traditional black outfit with a mantilla over her head and shoulders.
Her silk dress was designed by Fiona Clare, with the veil by milliner Philip Treacy, and she wore the late Queen’s “raspberry pip” brooch in the shape of a cross.
The visit, initially planned for April, was postponed due to Pope Francis’s health issues, although the royal couple met the pontiff privately before his death.
Charles has also previously met Pope Leo’s predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.
This corner hassle in the Sistine Tabernacle not only strengthens political ties but also symbolizes centuries of evolving relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.
