King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming state visits to the Holy See and Italy are set to proceed as planned, though they remain contingent on Pope Francis’ health, according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
The King is believed to have privately written to the Pontiff following his hospitalization in February due to pneumonia. Pope Francis has been recovering over the past month and was recently seen in the hospital’s chapel on Sunday. A palace source confirmed that officials had shared “hopes and prayers that Pope Francis’ health will enable the visit to go ahead.”
Charles and Camilla, who will mark their 20th wedding anniversary in Italy on April 9, are scheduled to visit the Vatican, Rome, and Ravenna during their four-day trip from April 7-10.
A palace spokesperson stated: “On Tuesday, April 8, and subject to Pope Francis’ health, Their Majesties will visit the Holy See to join Pope Francis in celebrating the 2025 Jubilee, which traditionally takes place every 25 years. The Jubilee is a significant year for the Catholic Church, centered on reconciliation, prayer, and walking together as ‘pilgrims of hope.’”
During the visit, the King and Queen will have an audience with Pope Francis and attend a service in the Sistine Chapel focused on environmental stewardship, a theme reflecting the shared commitment of both the King and the Pontiff to protecting nature.
The tour will feature several historic firsts. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, King Charles will be the first British monarch to visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls since the Reformation. The choirs of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, will perform there and in the Sistine Chapel in a celebration of unity between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.
Another landmark moment will see King Charles become the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Italian Parliament. He may even choose to deliver part of his speech in Italian. Additionally, he will meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, who will host a grand State Banquet in his honor at the Quirinale Palace in Rome.
Other highlights of the tour include a joint flypast by the Red Arrows and Italy’s Frecce Tricolori, as well as a visit to a Slow Food festival celebrating the traditional cuisine of Emilia-Romagna.
In Ravenna, the royal couple will pay a visit to Dante’s tomb, and Queen Camilla will tour the Byron Museum. They will also attend a reception marking the 80th anniversary of the province’s liberation from Nazi occupation by Allied Forces.
This will be King Charles’ sixth visit to the Holy See since 1985, while Queen Camilla is visiting for the third time. Charles has made 17 official visits to Italy since 1984, with Camilla accompanying him on two occasions, in 2009 and 2017.
