London/Vatican City: Britain’s King Charles remains hopeful that his scheduled meeting with Pope Francis will proceed as planned during his upcoming state visit to Italy and the Vatican next month, a Buckingham Palace source confirmed on Tuesday. The visit, set for April, comes as the pontiff continues to recover from a severe respiratory infection that required hospitalization.
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla would travel to Rome, with an audience with the 88-year-old pope among the key engagements. However, days after the announcement, Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital, raising uncertainty about whether the meeting would take place.
On Sunday, the Vatican released the first image of the pope since his February 14 hospitalization, stating that his condition was gradually improving. Officials noted that Francis had reduced reliance on mechanical ventilation at night to assist with breathing.
The royal couple’s three-day visit is scheduled to commence on April 7, with their meeting with the pope planned for the following day. A palace source conveyed that royal officials, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla, expressed their “hopes and prayers that Pope Francis’ health will enable the visit to go ahead.”
King Charles, 76, is also managing his own health challenges, following a recent cancer diagnosis. His engagements are being carefully coordinated to accommodate his treatment and recovery. According to the palace source, Charles privately wrote to Pope Francis upon learning of his illness. The two leaders have met previously during Charles’ visits to Rome in 2017 and 2019 before he ascended the throne.
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As the head of the Church of England, which historically separated from the Catholic Church in 1534, Charles’ visit carries symbolic significance. A palace spokesperson emphasized that the trip underscores an important step in strengthening relations between the two religious institutions, while also coinciding with preparations for the Catholic Church’s Holy Year celebrations in 2025.
During his Vatican visit, Charles is slated to tour the Papal Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, a site with historical connections to English monarchs predating the schism with Rome. The itinerary also includes a visit to the Sistine Chapel.
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Beyond the Vatican, Charles and Camilla will engage in high-level diplomatic meetings in Italy, including audiences with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Additionally, Charles is set to address both houses of the Italian Parliament, marking a historic first for a British monarch.
The visit also coincides with a personal milestone for the royal couple—their 20th wedding anniversary. Charles and Camilla were married on April 9, 2005, one day after the funeral of Pope John Paul II, which Charles attended in his capacity as heir to the throne.
