King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his wife, Queen Camilla, were received by Pope Francis, the Vatican announced on the evening of April 9, 2025. The meeting between the two sovereigns, originally scheduled for April 8, had been postponed due to the Pope's health.
The couple celebrated 20 years with a special meeting with Pope Francis. Their wedding was delayed two decades ago because of another pope.
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the Santa Marta residence in the afternoon, where Pope Francis is continuing his recovery two weeks after being discharged from the hospital.
The Holy See Press Office reported:
Pope Francis met privately with Their Majesties, King Charles and Queen Camilla, this afternoon. In the course of the meeting, the Pope expressed his best wishes to Their Majesties on the occasion of their wedding anniversary and reciprocated His Majesty’s wishes for a speedy recovery of his health.
The royal couple marked 20 years of marriage on April 9. The then Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles were originally due to be married on April 8, 2005, but the ceremony was postponed for a day due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
Regarding the Pope's own wishes for His Majesty's "speedy recovery,” this refers to the king's ongoing battle with cancer. King Charles III was hospitalized at the end of March due to temporary side effects related to the treatment of a form of cancer diagnosed a year ago.
For its part, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the private audience lasted 20 minutes.
The Pope could have other surprises in store
King Charles III was initially expected at the Vatican for an audience with the pontiff on April 8 as part of an official trip to the Vatican. In view of the Pope's health, this meeting was postponed “by mutual agreement” in order to respect the convalescence of the Argentine pontiff. The British sovereigns nevertheless maintained their state visit to Italy.
The head of the Catholic Church is gradually recovering from the bilateral pneumonia and polymicrobial infection that forced him to spend 38 days in hospital. His doctors prescribed a two-month convalescence for the Pope after his discharge from Rome's Gemelli hospital on March 23.
Last Sunday, Pope Francis caused a surprise by appearing for the first time in public -- it was the end of a Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square as part of the Jubilee of the Sick.
One of his doctors, Professor Sergio Alfieri, assured the press that the Pope is “no longer ill” and that he could have other surprises in store.
For the time being, all his official engagements are still suspended. The Holy See has not made any predictions at this stage regarding the Pope's possible participation in Holy Week celebrations. The details of such participation will probably be decided at the last minute, depending on his condition.
