King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to Vatican City next month for an official state visit with Pope Leo.
Originally, Charles and Camilla planned to visit the Vatican in April as part of an Italian trip. Their plans changed when then-Pope Francis’ health deteriorated. Though they finally met with the pope on April 9, he subsequently passed away on April 21.
Following his death, the Catholic cardinals gathered for the papal conclave, where they selected Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native. When they visit Rome next month, Charles and Camilla will shake hands with the first ever American pope.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set for a Vatican City visit
According to The Sun, Charles and Camilla will spend two days on their state visit to Vatican City, their only foreign trip of the fall.
Though the king and queen have not yet met Pope Leo in person, he recently sent a surprise tribute the the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent. The Duchess, who was a Catholic, died on September 4 at the age of 92. Hers was the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family in modern history.
During the requiem mass, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, read Pope Leo’s message of condolence. “I was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent,” Pope Leo’s message read. “I send heartfelt condolences … to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, and especially to her husband, The Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow.”
After acknowledging the Duchess’ years of “patronage of charities and devoted care for vulnerable people in society,” the Holy Father offered his “apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Risen Lord.”
Though battling cancer himself, Charles was still able to host state visits for both the presidents of France and the United States this year. Though rarely speaking about his health, he admitted to being “not too bad” while speaking to a fellow cancer patient during a hospital visit earlier this month.
“This is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already,” he added. “The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
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