King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Vatican visit put on hold amid Pope's recovery
Buckingham Palace confirms the King and Queen's Vatican visit is postponed, delaying their planned meeting with Pope Francis.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the postponement of the King and Queen’s upcoming state visit to the Vatican, originally planned for next month. The royal couple were due to meet with Pope Francis during their Italy tour, which starts on April 7, but this has now been delayed.
The decision was made by mutual agreement to allow Pope Francis more time to recover from his recent battle with double pneumonia. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "The King and Queen’s State Visit to The Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation."
The statement continued, "Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered."
Although the meeting with the Pope has been postponed, the King and Queen's planned tour of Italy will still go ahead, albeit with some adjustments to the itinerary, Mirror reported.
Just last week, a palace source expressed hope that Pope Francis's health would allow the royal visit to go ahead, saying: "Our hopes and prayers [are] that Pope Francis's health will enable the visit to go ahead."
The King and Queen’s now-postponed Vatican visit had been planned to celebrate the papal jubilee and strengthen ties between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. The trip, first revealed earlier this year by The Mirror, was set to be a key moment in Charles and Camilla’s state visit to Italy.
Pope Francis was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Sunday after a five-week stay. However, doctors have advised him to observe two months of convalescence and avoid large gatherings. The 87-year-old pontiff appeared frail as he greeted well-wishers outside the hospital, raising doubts over whether he would be well enough to meet the royal couple.
Despite the Vatican meeting being postponed, Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, are still expected to travel to Italy, where their visit will coincide with their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9. The King is scheduled to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the royal couple will attend a black-tie state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale.
The state visit was announced just over a week before the Pope’s hospitalisation. Since his illness, Charles, who last met Francis in 2019 for the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman, has reportedly written to the pontiff privately, likely wishing him a swift recovery.
The King and Queen’s visit to Italy will feature several key moments, including a display of UK-Italy defence cooperation with a joint flypast over Rome. The Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team will take to the skies alongside the RAF's Red Arrows in a show of military partnership.
In Ravenna, near Bologna, Charles and Camilla will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the region’s liberation from Nazi occupation. The milestone, marking the Allied forces’ victory on 10 April 1945, will be honoured during a town hall reception.
The visit will also celebrate Italy’s rich literary heritage, with the royal couple paying tribute at the tomb of poet Dante Alighieri. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla will make a solo visit to the Byron Museum.
Pope Francis has returned to his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he will continue treatment, including respiratory and mobility physiotherapy, particularly for voice recovery. Vatican officials say he will also have 24-hour medical assistance, including oxygen therapy if needed.
Addressing his well-wishers in a message on X, the Pope said: “You have continued to pray for me with so much patience and perseverance. Thank you so much. I also pray for you.”
The 87-year-old pontiff, who has chronic lung disease and had part of a lung removed in his youth, was hospitalised on 14 February after a bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral, and fungal respiratory tract infection, which later developed into pneumonia in both lungs.
Dr Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, confirmed that Francis is still struggling to speak due to the impact on his lungs and respiratory muscles.