The King will become the first British monarch to pray publicly with the Pope, since the Reformation 500 years ago, during a state visit to the Holy See next week.
The King and Queen will meet the new pontiff Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace, his official residence, next Thursday during their trip to Vatican City.
In a highly significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor, the King and Queen and the Pope will attend a special ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel, celebrating the ongoing work towards unity and cooperation among different Christian churches.
The decision for the King and Pope to pray together during the service will be the first time a monarch and the pontiff have joined together in this type of moment of reflection 500 years since the Reformation; in 1534 King Henry VIII declared himself as head of the Church of England, breaking from the papal authority of the Rome Catholic Church.
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