King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Pope Francis in private Vatican meeting (2025)

Buckingham Palace confirmed the royal meeting with Pope Francis after it was broken by local Italian media.

The King and Queen have met Pope Francis at the Vatican during a private meeting.

Charles and Camilla spent part of Wednesday afternoon with the Pontiff as he continues recuperating after receiving hospital treatment for double pneumonia.

The visit was broken by local media after the couple’s convoy was spotted leaving the Vatican. The Royals shared their best wishes for his recovery.

Charles and Camilla, who are coming to the end of a four-day state visit to Italy, were due to hold a separate state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican, but it was cancelled before the trip began to allow the Pope to recover from his illness.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla this afternoon had a private meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican.

“Their Majesties were delighted The Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person.”

The King and Queen’s Vatican visit had been planned to celebrate the papal jubilee and strengthen ties between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. The trip was set to be a key moment in Charles and Camilla’s state visit to Italy.

Pope Francis was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on March 23 after a five-week stay. However, doctors have advised him to observe two months of convalescence and avoid large gatherings. The 87-year-old pontiff appeared frail as he greeted well-wishers outside the hospital.

Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, still travelled to Italy, where their visit coincided with their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9. The King was scheduled to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the royal couple attended a black-tie state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale.

Since his illness, Charles, who last met Francis in 2019 for the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman, has reportedly written to the pontiff privately, likely wishing him a swift recovery.

The King and Queen’s visit to Italy featured several key moments, including a display of UK-Italy defence cooperation with a joint flypast over Rome. The Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team took to the skies alongside the RAF's Red Arrows in a show of military partnership.

In Ravenna, near Bologna, Charles and Camilla commemorated the 80th anniversary of the region’s liberation from Nazi occupation. The milestone, marking the Allied forces’ victory on 10 April 1945.

Pope Francis has returned to his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he is continuing treatment, including respiratory and mobility physiotherapy, particularly for voice recovery. Vatican officials say he will also have 24-hour medical assistance, including oxygen therapy if needed.

The 87-year-old pontiff, who has chronic lung disease and had part of a lung removed in his youth, was hospitalised on 14 February after a bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral, and fungal respiratory tract infection, which later developed into pneumonia in both lungs.