King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV made history on Thursday by praying together in the Sistine Chapel. It was the first time a British monarch has joined a pontiff in public prayer since England broke from the Catholic Church nearly 500 years ago.
The ecumenical service, led by Pope Leo and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, marked a powerful symbol of reconciliation between the Anglican and Catholic traditions. Queen Camilla sat beside King Charles. The Sistine Choir, joined by the choirs of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and the Royal Chapel of St James’s Palace sung psalms.
Earlier, the King met privately with Pope Leo at the Apostolic Palace, their first encounter since Leo became pope earlier this year. Greeting the monarch in English with a warm “welcome,” Charles replied, “I’m thrilled by the occasion.”
During the private audience, the two leaders exchanged gifts. King Charles presented a large silver photograph and an icon of Saint Edward the Confessor. In return, Pope Leo gave the monarch a mosaic reproduction of Christ Pantocrator from the Norman Cathedral of Cefalù, Sicily — crafted in the Vatican.
The service
The service’s reading, taken from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, focused on hope — the theme of the upcoming Jubilee Year and the central message of this royal visit to the Vatican. Yvette Cooper, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, read the passage. The liturgy alternated between Latin and English, reflecting the unity between both faiths.
After the service, King Charles and Pope Leo met again in the Sala Regia to close the royal visit. There, they joined representatives of environmental organisations — a cause deeply valued by both the Holy See and the British Crown.
In a symbolic gesture, the two exchanged white cymbidium orchids. The plant from Pope Leo will be placed on one of the King’s estates, while the orchid from Charles will be taken to Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo. The exchange represented their shared commitment to caring for creation and the environment.
The royal couple’s next stop is the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, where they will attend a second ecumenical ceremony with Anglican and Catholic leaders. The basilica, which houses the tomb of Saint Paul the Apostle, offers a fitting setting for this continuation of unity and dialogue between the two churches.
