Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit the Vatican in April 2025 for a historic meeting with Pope Francis. The visit marks King Charles’s first official trip to the Vatican as monarch since ascending the throne in 2022.

As head of the Church of England, the King’s audience with the leader of the Catholic Church carries significant historical and diplomatic weight. Their meeting will coincide with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year celebrations, held every 25 years as a time of reflection and renewal.

This visit also highlights King Charles’s gradual return to public life following his cancer treatment, which began in early 2024. Since then, he has resumed official duties and undertaken several state visits.

Beyond the Vatican, the royal couple will visit Rome and Ravenna in northern Italy to reinforce UK-Italy diplomatic ties. Buckingham Palace emphasized the strong bilateral relationship between the two nations, with discussions expected to cover cultural, economic, and environmental cooperation.

Ahead of his visit, King Charles will host a “UK-Italy dinner” at his Highgrove Gardens residence in southwest England. The event will celebrate the slow food and slow fashion movement, with guests including the Italian ambassador to the UK and American actor Stanley Tucci, known for his deep connection to Italian culture.

King Charles has visited the Vatican five times as Prince of Wales, most recently in 2019. His upcoming visit as King reaffirms his commitment to interfaith dialogue and diplomacy, strengthening ties between the Anglican and Catholic communities.