On a day marked by deep personal significance, King Charles III and Queen Camilla commemorated their 20th wedding anniversary—and the fourth anniversary of the passing of Prince Philip—with a heartfelt private visit to Pope Francis at the Vatican.
The audience took place on Wednesday afternoon at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope’s residence, where he is recovering after a recent hospital stay. This intimate encounter between the British monarchs and the Pontiff was filled with mutual well-wishes and symbolic resonance.
According to the Holy See Press Office, Pope Francis conveyed his warm congratulations to Their Majesties on their milestone anniversary, while also appreciating King Charles’ own message of support during the Pope’s recovery. The exchange came after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the meeting, initially postponed due to Pope Francis’ health concerns.
Buckingham Palace had originally announced the visit in early March, envisioning the occasion as a highlight of the royal couple’s Italian trip to mark the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year. However, with the Pope convalescing from bilateral pneumonia, plans were briefly put on hold.
As fate would have it, recovery on both sides aligned, allowing the audience to go ahead. The Royal Family shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the King and Queen were “deeply touched” by the Pope’s kind remarks and honored to convey their well-wishes in person.
King Charles’ relationship with the Vatican has long been marked by respect and spiritual diplomacy. In 2019, while still Prince of Wales, he penned an article in L’Osservatore Romano lauding the canonization of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and later attended the ceremony in Rome—underscoring his interfaith engagement despite being the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The royal couple’s current three-day visit to Rome also included high-level meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. King Charles made history during this trip as the first British monarch to address the Italian Parliament at Montecitorio.
This week’s meeting with Pope Francis not only reaffirmed warm ties between the British Crown and the Holy See but also served as a poignant reminder of shared values—compassion, faith, and continuity—between two venerable institutions navigating an era of change and recovery.