The King and Queen have met Pope Francis at the Vatican during a private audience, extending their best wishes for his continued recovery. His Holiness is recuperating from hospital treatment for double pneumonia, and Their Majesties were said to be “delighted” he was well enough to receive them. The unannounced visit, which took place on Wednesday afternoon, was revealed after local media spotted their convoy leaving the Vatican.
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Charles and Camilla are nearing the conclusion of a four-day state visit to Italy. A separate visit to the Holy See had been scheduled but was cancelled in advance to allow the Pope time to recover. However, the pontiff extended a personal invitation on the morning of the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary. The audience, which reportedly lasted 20 minutes, is believed to have taken place in Pope Francis’s private apartment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the meeting and said Their Majesties were grateful for the opportunity to meet the Pope in person.
This marked the Pope’s first private engagement since making a public appearance on Sunday in St Peter’s Square, where he attended a Jubilee Mass for the sick. During the service, he was seen in a wheelchair and receiving oxygen via nasal tubes, although the Vatican later confirmed that this is being gradually reduced. The meeting followed a reception on Tuesday evening at Villa Volkonsky – the British Ambassador’s residence – where the King was heard expressing his support, saying: “I pray for the Pope.”
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Although details of their conversation have not been disclosed, it is understood that the Pope offered his congratulations to the royal couple on their wedding anniversary. Gifts were exchanged during the meeting, and the King and Queen were accompanied by their principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, and Camilla’s deputy private secretary, Belinda Kim. This is the first meeting between the monarch and Pope Francis since 2019, when Charles, then Prince of Wales, attended the canonisation of St John Henry Newman. A photograph of the audience is expected to be released on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing to reschedule the King’s official visit to the Holy See, originally planned to coincide with the Papal Jubilee.
