From St. Paul’s tomb to Windsor Chapel, Charles and Leo XIV mark a milestone of spiritual friendship and shared history.
As part of his state visit to the Holy See on October 23, 2025, King Charles III received a unique and deeply symbolic welcome at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. In a quiet ceremony marked by reverence and simplicity, the King was formally received as a “Royal Confrère” of the Benedictine Abbey — a gesture rich in historical and spiritual meaning.
In a reciprocal sign of friendship, Pope Leo XIV was conferred the title of “Papal Confrère” of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle — a first-of-its-kind honor extended by the Dean and Canons of St George’s College, with the King’s approval.
Both titles symbolize a growing spiritual bond between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, which Charles III governs as Supreme Governor.
“These mutual gifts of confraternity are recognitions of spiritual communion and are deeply symbolic of the path traveled by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church over the last five centuries,” noted the UK Embassy to the Holy See. The Vatican has officially confirmed the exchange.
Earlier that day, in one of the highlights of the visit, King Charles awarded Pope Leo XIV the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath — a traditional honor for heads of state. In turn, the Pope conferred on King Charles the title of Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX, and Queen Camilla was named Dame Grand Cross of the same order.
At the heart of history: A ceremony of unity
Before the formal liturgical ceremony, the King and Queen Camilla were welcomed by Pope Leo XIV and joined him in Midday Prayer in the Sistine Chapel.
From there, they made their way privately to the tomb of St. Paul beneath the basilica altar, accompanied by Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica; Dom Donato Ogliari, Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey; and the Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Also present were Cardinals Arthur Roche, Timothy Radcliffe, and Vincent Nichols of the UK, along with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In the choir of the basilica, King Charles was seated on a chair decorated with his royal arms and the inscription Ut unum sint — “That they may be one" -- Jesus' prayer for his disciples that he prayed at the Last Supper.
While the King remained silent during the short rite, the symbolism was profound: a monarch received as a spiritual brother, in recognition of historical ties and shared hope.
Celebrating the past — and looking ahead
Cardinal Harvey recalled how Anglo-Saxon kings once served as protectors of the basilica, supporting maintenance of St. Paul’s tomb. Though history diverged after the Anglican schism in the 16th century, unity has been inching closer, particularly since Vatican II. Cardinal Harvey called the ceremony “a sign of hope and a commitment to the future.”
The liturgy featured moving choral performances from the abbey’s Schola, St George’s Chapel in Windsor, and the children’s choir from St James’s Palace. One of the prayers offered asked the Lord to guide King Charles “on the paths of freedom, justice, and truth.”
After the ceremony, Their Majesties visited the monastery and greeted Monsignor Charles Burns, a senior British prelate living in Rome since the 1950s. Later, King Charles was scheduled to meet Commonwealth seminarians and Vatican-based UK officials, while Queen Camilla met religious sisters working in education and anti-trafficking.
A future papal visit?
The conferral of the honorary title on Pope Leo XIV may pave the way for a future papal visit to the UK. Should he travel there, he would become the third pope to do so after John Paul II’s 1982 trip during the Falklands War and Benedict XVI’s 2010 visit for Cardinal Newman’s beatification.
This November 1, Cardinal Newman will be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church — another chance to spotlight British Catholicism’s contributions to society. Notably, then-Prince Charles attended Newman’s 2019 canonization and offered a heartfelt tribute published by Vatican media.
In its quiet solemnity, the moment shared at St. Paul’s may not have made global headlines — but it was a gesture filled with grace, mutual esteem, and, as Cardinal Harvey expressed, real hope for what lies ahead.
