King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Pope Francis

Apr 18, 2025

By Salvatore Cernuzio
In a poignant moment, King Charles III and Queen Camilla met privately with Pope Francis on April 9, coinciding with the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary and the fourth anniversary of the death of the King’s father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The meeting took place at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope’s residence within the Vatican, where he has been recovering for over two weeks following his release from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Pope Francis, who had been hospitalised for bilateral pneumonia, has recently resumed a limited schedule of meetings.

In a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office, it was confirmed that the Pope met with Their Majesties in a private audience, during which he “expressed his best wishes to Their Majesties on the occasion of their wedding anniversary and reciprocated His Majesty’s wishes for a speedy recovery of his health.”

This mutual exchange of goodwill comes as King Charles continues his own recovery following treatment for cancer, which led to a brief hospitalisation at the end of March.

The audience had originally been announced by Buckingham Palace in early March, ahead of the royal couple’s visit to Italy, part of celebrations marking the Jubilee Year. However, the visit was initially postponed due to the Pope’s convalescence. A statement released on March 24 indicated that the meeting would not go ahead as planned, but noted the Royals’ intention to visit the Pope once he had recovered.

That opportunity came on Wednesday, allowing King Charles and Queen Camilla to offer their well-wishes in person.
During their three-day official visit to Rome, the King and Queen also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In a historic first, King Charles became the first British monarch to address the Italian Parliament, delivering remarks at the Chamber of Deputies in Montecitorio.

As Supreme Governor of the Church of England and head of the British monarchy, King Charles has long expressed an interest in interfaith dialogue. In 2019, as Prince of Wales, he wrote a reflection in L’Osservatore Romano ahead of the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman, describing the event as “a cause of celebration... for all who cherish the values by which he was inspired.” He later attended the canonisation ceremony in the Vatican, where he greeted Pope Francis personally.

The audience continues the King’s ongoing engagement with the Vatican and signals a continuation of his commitment to religious diplomacy and cultural exchange..--Vatican News