King Charles III and Queen Camilla met privately with Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta on Wednesday, marking their 20th wedding anniversary and the four-year anniversary of the death of the King’s father, Philip of Edinburgh. The meeting was a significant gesture of respect and goodwill, with Pope Francis expressing his best wishes to the royal couple on their special day.
The private audience was announced earlier in March, but was initially postponed due to Pope Francis’ hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia. The King and Queen were eventually able to meet with the Pope, who has been convalescing at the Casa Santa Marta for over two weeks. During their meeting, Pope Francis reciprocated the King’s wishes for a speedy recovery of his health, following his recent hospitalization for cancer treatment.
The meeting was part of the royal couple’s three-day visit to Rome, during which they also met with the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The King also became the first British Monarch to address the assembled Houses of Parliament in Montecitorio. As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, King Charles III has a significant role in the Anglican Communion, and his meeting with Pope Francis highlights the ongoing dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
The King’s interest in the Catholic Church is not new, and he has previously expressed his admiration for the values of Catholicism. In 2019, he published an article in L’Osservatore Romano, celebrating the canonization of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and was present for the canonization ceremony at the Vatican. The meeting with Pope Francis is a further demonstration of the King’s commitment to interfaith dialogue and his respect for the Catholic Church.