In a moment of historic reconciliation, King Charles III on Thursday became the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with a pope—500 years after England’s break from Rome.
The 76-year-old monarch met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican during a state visit described by Buckingham Palace as “historic.” Accompanied by Queen Camilla, the king arrived in Rome Wednesday evening for his first meeting with the newly elected pontiff, a Chicago native who succeeded the late Pope Francis in May.
The royal couple were welcomed at the Apostolic Palace by the Swiss Guard before holding private talks with the pope in the papal library. The highlight of the visit came at midday, when Charles joined an ecumenical prayer service in the Sistine Chapel, co-led by Pope Leo and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, one of the Church of England’s senior leaders.
Broadcast live by Vatican media, the service marked the first public act of prayer between a British monarch and a pontiff since Henry VIII’s split with the Catholic Church in the 16th century. That schism, triggered by a papal refusal to annul Henry’s marriage, established the Church of England with the monarch as its supreme governor—a division that has endured for half a millennium.
Thursday’s ceremony, held beneath Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes, focused on themes of environmental stewardship and conservation, reflecting the king’s long-standing advocacy on climate issues. Music was provided jointly by the choirs of the Sistine Chapel and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, symbolizing unity between the two Christian traditions.
The visit comes amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family following fresh allegations involving Prince Andrew, who last week announced he would relinquish his title as Duke of York amid pressure from King Charles and Prince William.
Charles, who has met previous popes several times, last visited the Vatican in April for a private audience with Pope Francis shortly before the pontiff’s death. The king later sent William to attend Francis’s funeral and his brother Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, to Pope Leo’s inauguration Mass.
For the Vatican and the Crown alike, Thursday’s shared prayer marked not only a gesture of faith—but a powerful symbol of healing centuries of religious division.