NEED TO KNOW
- King Charles and Queen Camilla will reportedly meet with Pope Leo during an official state visit to Vatican City
- The King and Queen postponed their planned visit in April due to Pope Francis’ ill health at the time, instead meeting privately days before his death on April 9
- Pope Leo recently surprised the royal family by sending a special tribute to the late Katherine, Duchess of Kent, whose funeral mass was the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family in modern history
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to meet with Pope Leo during an official state visit to Vatican City next month.
The Sun reported over the weekend that the King and Queen will spend around two days in the holy city in October, an abbreviated trip following their official state visit to Italy earlier this year.
King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 78, were originally set to make an official visit to the Vatican in April as part of the Italy trip. However, it was postponed due to Pope Francis’ ill health at the time. Instead, the royal couple met privately with the Catholic leader on April 9.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, following months of health struggles — which included a 38-day hospitalization, where he was treated for double pneumonia.
Following Pope Francis’ death, the cardinals of the Catholic Church gathered for the papal conclave, where they selected Pope Leo XIV — previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost — as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
While the King and Queen have yet to officially meet Pope Leo, 70, in person, the Catholic leader recently extended a meaningful gesture to the royal family. Earlier this month, the Pope sent a surprise tribute to the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who died on Sept. 4 at age 92.
The Duchess’s funeral mass on Sept. 16, conducted by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, was historic as the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family in modern history.
Buckingham Palace said Pope Leo’s message was read by His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, during the requiem mass.
“I was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent, and I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, and especially to her husband, The Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow,” the message from Pope Leo began.
“Entrusting her noble soul to the mercy of our Heavenly Father, I readily associate myself with all those offering thanksgiving to Almighty God for The Duchess’s legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society,” it continued. “To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Risen Lord.”
King Charles has maintained a public schedule this year — including foreign trips and hosting state visits for both the presidents of France and the United States — amid his ongoing treatments for cancer.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Though he has rarely spoken publicly about his health, during a recent visit to the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, the King reportedly told a fellow cancer patient that he was “not too bad” when asked about his recovery.
He joked with another about the trials of aging, saying, “This is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
Read the full article here
