Head of the Church of England Britain’s King Charles III, and Queen Camilla will make a historic state visit to the Vatican next week to meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

“The King and Queen will undertake a historic state visit to the Holy See from 22nd-23rd October 2025. The visit will mark Their Majesties’ first meeting with Pope Leo XIV since his election in May 2025,” a palace statement said.

This will take place around six months, after the royal couple met Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, in a private visit shortly before his death.

Francis died on April 21 after 12 years as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Leo, 70, who has a history of missionary work in Peru and is the first pope from the United States, was elected in a conclave of cardinals on May 8.

During the visit next Wednesday and Thursday, Charles and Camilla will join Leo in celebrations to mark the current special jubilee year, held every 25 years, the palace statement also said.

The ceremony will include a service in the Sistine Chapel reflecting on Leo and Charles’ shared “commitment to the protection of nature and concern for the environment”, it added.

The king will also visit a seminary that trains priests from across the Commonwealth, while the queen will meet Catholic sisters from a body that works with girls’ education programmes to tackle challenges such as sexual violence, human trafficking, and poor access to healthcare.

The visit would mark “a significant moment” in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, recognising the “ecumenical work they have undertaken and reflecting the Jubilee year’s theme of walking together as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’,” the palace said.