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King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make a state visit to meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time at the Vatican next month, Buckingham Palace has said.<\/p>\n
The trip in late October will come about six months after the royal couple visited Leo\u2019s predecessor, Pope Francis<\/a>, shortly before his death in April.<\/p>\n During the coming trip Charles \u2013 head of the Church of England \u2013 and Camilla would join Leo in celebrations to mark the current jubilee year<\/a>, held every 25 years, the palace statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe visit will also celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic church, reflecting the jubilee year\u2019s theme of walking together as \u2018pilgrims of hope\u2019,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n The trip will make a state visit the royal couple had been forced to cancel in April because of Francis\u2019s failing health. They were able to see the pontiff for a private meeting<\/a>, becoming one of the final dignitaries to see him before his death at 88. Charles, 76, and Francis shared a passion for protecting the environment.<\/p>\n Francis died after 12 years as head of the world\u2019s 1.4 billion Catholics, and Leo was elected in a conclave of cardinals<\/a> in May. Leo, 70, who has a history of missionary work in Peru, is the first pope from the US.<\/p>\n The royal couple\u2019s four-day trip to Italy in April had been thrown into doubt by the king\u2019s own health scare. Charles was briefly admitted to hospital<\/a> on 27 March after experiencing temporary side effects from the treatment for his cancer, which was announced last year.<\/p>\n The king had previously visited the Vatican<\/a> on five occasions as Prince of Wales, and has met three popes.<\/p>\n He was received by Francis during visits to the Vatican in 2017 and 2019, and by Benedict XVI in 2009. He met John Paul II during his visit to Britain in 1982 and attended the Polish pope\u2019s funeral at the Vatican in 2005.<\/p>\n