State Visit to the Holy See

Wednesday 22nd October

The King and Queen were formally welcomed by representatives of the Holy See.

Their Majesties last visited the Holy See earlier this year, when they had a private meeting with Pope Francis, shortly before he died. This meeting took place during The King and Queen’s State Visit to the Republic of Italy and following the postponement of the State Visit to the Holy See, which had been due to take place in April. 

His Majesty The King, as Prince of Wales, visited the Holy See on five occasions: April 1985, April 2005 for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, April 2009, April 2017 and October 2019 for the Canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman. Her Majesty The Queen, as Duchess of Cornwall, joined His Majesty for the visits in April 2009 and April 2017. 

As Prince of Wales, His Majesty was received by Pope Benedict XVI during the 2009 visit and Pope Francis during his visits in 2017 and 2019. His Majesty also met Pope John Paul II in Canterbury in 1982 - the first ever visit to the U.K. by a reigning Pope.

Thursday 23rd October

To begin their State Visit to the Holy See, Their Majesties passed through St. Peter’s Square to arrive at the San Damaso Courtyard, the ceremonial entrance to the Apostolic Palace, where they were greeted by the Regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, Reverend Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza. 

The ceremony began with a ceremonial Guard of Honour provided by the Swiss Guard and the playing of both the British and Vatican City national anthems. Their Majesties were also greeted by a group of Papal Gentlemen and the Gentleman of the Pope, Prince of Windisch-Gaetz, Mariano Hugo. 

The Swiss Guards are one of the oldest and most prestigious European military forces, drawn exclusively from Roman Catholic Swiss citizens who have completed military training. They fulfil ceremonial functions and form the Pope’s bodyguard.

Following this, The King and Queen had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. This is the first time Their Majesties have met Pope Leo since his election in May earlier this year.

His Majesty also held a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Cardinal Secretary of State. The Cardinal attended Their Majesties’ Coronation in May 2023, becoming the first papal representative to attend the Coronation of a British monarch at Westminster Abbey for nearly 500 years.

Meanwhile, The Queen visited the Pauline Chapel and learnt more about the Chapel’s history and the role it plays.

Their Majesties, accompanied by Pope Leo, then attended a special ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel, marking the joining of hands between the Catholic Church and Church of England in a celebration of ecumenism.

The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had the old Cappella Magna restored between 1477 and 1480. The Chapel’s walls were decorated in the 15th century and feature stories of Moses and Christ and portraits of Popes. It is also the site of the Papal Conclave, for the election of the Supreme Pontiff (the Pope), which most recently took place in May this year.

During the service, The King's Chapel Royal and St. George’s Chapel (Windsor) choirs performed Thomas Tallis’, If ye love me. The Choir of the Sistine Chapel and Lay Clerks from Windsor also sung two Psalms together.

The service included an introduction by Pope Leo and the Archbishop of York and a reading from the Letter to the Romans by the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper.

Following this, in the Sala Regia, The King and Pope Leo met groups of people, including representatives from climate organisations and private sector leaders who have been working with the Sustainable Markets Initiative, which His Majesty founded as Prince of Wales, in support of efforts to support sustainability and Nature.

Afterwards, The King and Queen privately viewed two Raphael Tapestries in the Sistine Chapel, which have been re-hung in their original positions, in honour of Their Majesties’ visit.

On departing the Holy See, The King and Queen visited the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls to attend an ecumenical service in recognition of His Majesty becoming ‘Royal Confrater’ of the Abbey of St Paul’s.

St Paul’s Outside the Walls’ is recognised as the Papal Basilica where reconciliation, ecumenism and relationships across the Christian faith are celebrated. The English Crown had a particular link with the Papal Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls until the Reformation.

Their Majesties walked through the Basilica’s Holy Doors, which are opened every twenty-five years, during a Jubilee Year. These are symbolic and act as a point of pilgrimage for those arriving at one of the four Holy Doors at the Papal Basilicas in Rome.

The King sat in a specially created seat, displaying His Majesty’s Coat of Arms – a gift given in honour of His Majesty becoming Royal Confrater of the Abbey of St. Paul. 

This gift of ‘confraternity’, offered by the Archpriest of the Basilica and approved by the Pope, is a recognition of spiritual fellowship. Together with the creation of a new seat for His Majesty, which will remain in the Basilica, it is a mark of friendship which reflects the mutual respect between Pope Leo and His Majesty as Heads of State.

Departing St Paul's Outside the Walls, The King and Queen were delighted to meet school children and members of the public.

Later, His Majesty attended a garden reception in celebration of the day’s ecumenical services, at the Pontifical Beda College. The King met groups of trainee priests from across the Commonwealth, British nationals working in the Vatican and Commonwealth Ambassadors to the Holy See.

Meanwhile, The Queen met Catholic Sisters from The International Union of Superiors General (IUSG). The IUSG was canonically established in 1965, and works around the world at grassroots level to support female empowerment through girls’ education programmes, improved access to healthcare, climate action and the prevention of sexual violence and human trafficking.