King Charles and Queen Camilla have finally begun their State Visit.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, October 23, Buckingham Palace shared exclusive photos of Their Majesties with Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace, marking their first meeting since the pope’s installation.
The carousel opened with a photo featuring the British monarch exchanging greetings with the Vatican City State’s head.
In the next slide, showing a two-photo collage, captured Queen Camilla joining her husband and the Holy See’s sovereign.
Captioning the post, the Royal Family shared, “The King and Queen have met Pope Leo XIV (pontifex) in the Apostolic Palace, to begin their State Visit to the Holy See.”
“Their Majesties will undertake engagements with Pope Leo XIV in celebration of the 2025 Papal Jubilee. This will include a special ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel,” they continued, adding, “Later this afternoon, The King and Queen will visit the Papal Basilica and Abbey of ‘St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.’”
King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Vatican City on Wednesday, October 22, for a special State Visit to mark the 2025 Jubilee Year of the Catholic Church.
During the celebrations today, the King and the Pope will pray together, marking the first time in more than 500 years when a British monarch and pontiff have done so at a church service since the English Reformation.
