King Charles and Queen Camilla will make a State Visit to the Holy See in late October 2025, where they will join Pope Leo XIV in celebrating the Jubilee Year. Held every 25 years, the Jubilee is one of the most important occasions in the Catholic Church, marked as a time of renewal and hope.
The visit will honour the Jubilee while also emphasising the shared commitment of the Church of England and the Catholic Church to greater unity. This year’s theme, Pilgrims of Hope, highlights the importance of walking together in faith. Final dates for the royal trip have not yet been confirmed, with more details expected next month.
The King and Queen are no strangers to the Vatican. Earlier this year they met Pope Francis during their State Visit to Italy, continuing Charles’s long history of visits to the Holy See. Over the course of his life, the King has made five official trips there.
News of the visit comes soon after Pope Leo XIV expressed sympathy to the Royal Family following the death of Katherine, Duchess of Kent. His message, read during her Requiem Mass, praised her Christian faith and dedication to charitable work:
“I was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent, and I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, and especially to her husband, The Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow.”
The October State Visit is set to be both historic and deeply symbolic, reinforcing ties between the two Churches at the heart of the Jubilee celebrations.
