King Charles and Queen Camilla were warmly received by Pope Francis on Wednesday during a private audience at the Vatican — a meeting originally postponed due to the pontiff’s recent illness.
While news of the visit was released on Wednesday, an official photograph capturing the touching moment was shared the following day. The image shows the King and Queen beaming alongside His Holiness, marking a joyful and poignant highlight of their four-day state visit to Italy.
“A special moment for Their Majesties as they privately met His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday. The King and Queen were deeply touched by the Pope’s kind remarks about their 20th wedding anniversary and honoured to be able to share their best wishes to him in person,” read the caption accompanying the photo.
According to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, “Their Majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them for a private meeting and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person.”
The royal couple headed to the Vatican shortly after visiting the Italian Parliament, where King Charles delivered a speech. The meeting with the Pope, which lasted around 20 minutes, included a warm exchange of gifts and heartfelt anniversary wishes from the Holy Father.
Pope Francis, 88, has kept a low profile since his hospitalization in February due to a serious lung infection that resulted in double pneumonia. Doctors revealed he experienced two life-threatening episodes during his stay. He was discharged in late March and advised to rest for at least two months, owing to his long-standing respiratory vulnerability stemming from the removal of part of his lung in his youth.
The King had privately written to the Pope during his illness to send well wishes. The two last met in 2019, when Charles was still Prince of Wales, during the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman.
The Vatican meeting, initially scheduled for earlier in the royal visit, was rescheduled out of concern for the Pope’s health. In a statement released on March 25, Buckingham Palace said: “Their Majesties send the Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered.”
Their long-awaited reunion this week offered not only a moment of shared faith and goodwill but a touching tribute to resilience and enduring connection.
