The monarch’s support for Dame Sarah Mullally’s groundbreaking appointment may affect his chances of receiving a papal knighthood.
King Charles may have put a centuries-old opportunity at risk by backing Dame Sarah Mullally’s appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury — a move that made her the first woman ever to hold the position.
According to royal columnist Ephraim Hardcastle, this decision could lessen the King’s chances of being granted a papal knighthood by Pope Leo XIV, who succeeded the late Pope Francis earlier this year.
Charles and Queen Camilla met with Pope Francis shortly before his passing. During his upcoming two-day visit to the Vatican, the King is expected to be named a Royal Confrater and will join Pope Leo in prayer at the Sistine Chapel.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Hardcastle noted, “The King arrives in the Vatican today to receive the gift of a special chair when the Pope makes him a Royal Confrater. The King was being considered for a papal knighthood by Pope Francis — something unprecedented since Henry VIII broke from Rome nearly 500 years ago.”
A Church of England spokesperson told the Daily Express that the Royal Confrater title honours His Majesty’s long-standing efforts to promote interfaith understanding and unity.
A royal source described the visit as “deeply significant for the King personally,” reflecting his enduring wish to bring diverse communities together.
