The Vatican visit of King Charles III of England on October 23, 2025, has given rise to unprecedented symbolic exchanges, notably the Pope and King joining in Midday Prayer, part of the Liturgy of the Hours, in the Sistine Chapel.
This is the first time since the 1500s -- when the Church of England was formed in 1534 under Henry VIII, who made himself its head -- that the heads of the churches have prayed together.
The 20-minute liturgy in the majestic Sistine Chapel was led by the Pope, assisted by the Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.
Pending the installation in January of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, Archbishop Cottrell is the highest authority within the Church of England.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived first at the Sistine Chapel, accompanied by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, and sat beneath the fresco of the Last Judgment. Earlier in the morning, the king had a private meeting with Leo XIV in his papal apartments, and later with Cardinal Parolin and his right-hand man, British Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.
The assembly included numerous cardinals, including Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the current (Catholic) Archbishop of Westminster, as well as a dozen prelates of the Anglican Communion.
During the ceremony, hymns from the Roman and English traditions were sung by members of the Sistine Chapel Choir, accompanied exceptionally by singers from the St. James's Palace Children's Choir and the Choir of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. They notably performed the hymn If Ye Love Me by the great 16th-century English composer Thomas Tallis. This devout Catholic remained in the service of British sovereigns after the Reformation, and his work occupies a central place in the Anglican sacred repertoire.
History
The Pope and King are also exchanging honorary titles.
Charles III will be formally installed this Thursday afternoon with the title of "royal confrater" of the Abbey and Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
For his part, the King is honoring Leo XIV by offering him the title of "papal confrater" of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Highlights of the day
King Charles III's state visit to the Vatican follows the cancellation of his visit scheduled for last April due to Pope Francis' health. However, on the sidelines of his state visit to Italy, he did visit the Vatican in a private capacity to greet the Argentine pontiff, who was convalescing at his residence in Santa Marta. The day was their 20th wedding anniversary.
Now in Rome, the King has also met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, as well as other members of the Roman Curia, entrepreneurs, and associations involved in the field of ecology, under the frescoes of the Royal Hall.
King Charles III will then take part in a liturgical celebration at 2:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to be instituted with the honorary title symbolizing the historical link between the English monarchy and this Roman abbey.
In Anglo-Saxon times, the British king was the protector of this Basilica, just as the king of France had a special connection with the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the king of Spain with St. Mary Major, and the Habsburg family with St. Peter's. The Anglo-Saxon sovereigns provided financial support for the maintenance of the tomb of the Apostle Paul.
Despite the Anglican schism, the symbol of the Order of the Garter, England's highest distinction, can still be found in the basilica's coat of arms.
Towards a papal visit to the United Kingdom?
The announcement of the symbolic title granted in return to Leo XIV could pave the way for a future trip by the pontiff to the United Kingdom. He would then be the third pope to visit that country.
John Paul II came in 1982 on the occasion of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the Holy See, in the delicate context of the Falklands War.
Benedict XVI came in 2010, on the occasion of the beatification of Cardinal Newman.
On November 1, the proclamation of Cardinal Newman as a "Doctor of the Church" will provide a new opportunity to highlight the special place of Catholics in British society. During the canonization of John Henry Newman by Francis in 2019, the then Prince Charles traveled to Rome and published a glowing tribute to the British cardinal in the Vatican media.
