King Charles and Queen Camilla made an unannounced private visit to Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon, during their four-day state visit to Italy. The meeting took place at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope’s residence in Vatican City, where the 88-year-old pontiff is recovering from a serious case of pneumonia in both lungs.
Originally, a formal audience had been removed from the royal itinerary due to concerns over the Pope’s health. However, the royal couple took the opportunity to meet the Pope privately, offering their personal wishes for his recovery.
The Vatican later released a statement confirming the visit, noting that Pope Francis expressed his best wishes to Charles and Camilla on their 20th wedding anniversary, which coincided with the visit. In return, the King and Queen conveyed their warm regards and hopes for the Pope’s swift recovery.
Buckingham Palace also acknowledged the meeting, saying Charles and Camilla “were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person.”
Pope Francis was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after spending five weeks being treated for a life-threatening lung infection. Doctors have recommended he remain at home for at least two months to recover fully.
The royal visit to the Vatican followed a historic moment earlier that day when King Charles became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Italian parliament. In a speech that impressed many lawmakers, he delivered portions in Italian and lightheartedly apologized if he was “ruining” the language of Dante, joking that he hoped it wouldn’t prevent future invitations to Italy.
“Italy is a country very dear to my heart and to that of the Queen, as it is to many British people,” the King said during his address, highlighting the deep cultural and historical ties between the two nations.
Earlier in the day, the royal couple also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On Wednesday evening, they are being hosted by President Sergio Mattarella at a state banquet at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.
Their tour will continue on Thursday with a visit to Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region, after which they will return to the United Kingdom.
