Pope and British King Pray Together in Vatican for First Time in 500 Years; Queen Camilla Wears All-Black
Creatrip Team
5 months ago
King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially visited the Vatican on Oct. 23 to attend an ecumenical (church unity) service led by Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel — the first joint prayer by the heads of the Catholic Church and the Church of England since Henry VIII’s break with Rome in 1534, a symbolic step toward reconciliation after about 500 years. Charles briefly spoke with the pope before the service and joked about the cameras. The visit drew criticism from some Protestant groups in Northern Ireland who said the king’s participation conflicts with his oath to protect Protestant faith. Queen Camilla drew attention by wearing an all-black outfit with a black mantilla (veil) and a historic diamond brooch; royal protocol often expects women to wear a modest black dress and mantilla when meeting the pope, though royal women may sometimes wear all white. The trip had been postponed from April due to Pope Francis’s health concerns. The report also recalled Camilla’s earlier public controversy over her past relationship with Charles and the late Princess Diana.
