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King Charles III and Queen Camilla publicly prayed with the pope for the first time since the English Reformation, but the historic moment was “overshadowed” by the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew.
Charles and Camilla were seen during the official state visit to Vatican City on Oct. 23, 2025, where they met with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace. The visit marked a historic occasion, as it is the first meeting between the British monarch and the newly elected pontiff since Pope Leo XIV’s election in May 2025.
“The meeting for prayer between King Charles, Queen Camilla and Pope Leo is highly significant as a similar ceremony has not happened for centuries. Charles is supreme Governor for the Church of England and has longed for building bridges with other faiths,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
Queen Camilla smiled as she visited the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls on October 23, 2025, in Vatican City.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for a visit to the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, in recognition of the King becoming ‘Royal Confrater’ of the Abbey in Rome on October 23, 2025. (Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
She was elegantly dressed in a cream coat dress adorned with delicate embroidery, paired with matching heels and a coordinating clutch bag. Walking beside her was King Charles, who wore a blue suit with a light blue patterned tie and pocket square, accompanied by a cardinal in traditional clerical attire — a black cassock trimmed with red buttons and sash, along with a red zucchetto — who appeared to be guiding and conversing with the royal couple.
Despite the lingering turmoil surrounding Prince Andrew, the King and Queen appeared composed and united as they began their highly symbolic journey to the Vatican.
King Charles III makes history with Pope Leo XIV in a groundbreaking Vatican visit, marking the first royal-papal prayer since the English Reformation 500 years ago. (Simone Risoluti — Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
“Regrettably, while this trip should be so momentous after 500 years of division, putting old divisions of the Reformation in the past with a wonderful new era of Christians uniting, instead, it is overshadowed by the despicable moral depravity of his brother. This is compounded by the system and those who also protected him,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
Their historic visit follows renewed scrutiny of Prince Andrew — the King’s embattled brother — who announced he would relinquish his royal titles and honors as questions over his long-criticized ties to Jeffrey Epstein once again took center stage.
“Regrettably, while this trip should be so momentous after 500 years of division, putting old divisions of the Reformation in the past with a wonderful new era of Christians uniting, instead, it is overshadowed by the despicable moral depravity of his brother. This is compounded by the system and those who also protected him.”
Their historic visit comes on the heels of Prince Andrew announcing he was relinquishing his royal titles and honors as questions over his long-criticized ties to Jeffrey Epstein once again took center stage. (Getty Images)
“Obviously, King Charles is very disappointed that the Andrew affair is totally overshadowing this major historical event, and it was thought he might face questions from the media, but I think that is very unlikely now as all the media are interested in his thoughts on Andrew,” royal expert Turner added.
“The reality is, wars have raged for centuries between Catholics and Protestants in Britain. Even the Queen, who met the previous Pope, wanted to pray with him and was advised, at the time years ago, that this would not go down well with the Church of England.”
During their visit, King Charles additionally wore a deep blue suit and Pope Leo XIV, dressed in his traditional red papal vestments and white cassock. The two were seen shaking hands in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and shared prayer in the Sistine Chapel.
Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Britain’s King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and shared prayer in the Sistine Chapel on Oct. 23, 2025. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo)
Queen Camilla, who was also dressed in traditional black attire and a lace veil (mantilla), as is customary for papal audiences, stood alongside Pope Leo XIV and King Charles at the San Damaso Courtyard. The trio was flanked by Swiss Guards and other dignitaries, emphasizing the ceremonial nature of the royal departure from the Holy See.
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(L-R) Queen Camilla, Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III depart the Holy See, from the San Damaso Courtyard on October 23, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
King Charles, Pope Leo XIV and Queen Camilla formally stood together as they conveyed the significance of the occasion — a unifying moment between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.
During their visit, the royal couple was seen seated beside Pope Leo XIV during a joint prayer service inside the Sistine Chapel. The backdrop featured Michelangelo’s famed “The Last Judgment” fresco, emphasizing the solemnity and historical resonance of the event.
Pope Leo XVI, King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Prayer Service at the Sistine Chapel at the Apostolic Palace on October 23, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican. (Simone Risoluti — Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
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This service marked the first time since the English Reformation that a British monarch and a Pope have prayed together during a church service, as part of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations.
The royal couple landed in Rome on Wednesday evening. They were greeted at Ciampino Airport by British Ambassador to the Holy See Christopher Trott and Monsignor González, head of the Vatican Protocol. From there, the pair traveled to Villa Wolkonsky, a 19th-century estate built by Russian princess Zenaide Wolkonsky — now the official residence of the British ambassador.
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Buckingham Palace called the trip “a significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor, recognizing the ecumenical work they have undertaken and reflecting the Jubilee year’s theme of walking together as ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’” according to People magazine.
