King Charles to proceed with Vatican visit despite pope’s pneumonia

Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that King Charles III's upcoming state visit to the Vatican in early April will proceed as planned, despite Pope Francis's recent hospitalization due to pneumonia.

The King, who serves as the head of the Church of England, is scheduled to meet with his Catholic counterpart on April 8, as outlined in the palace's itinerary. A source from Buckingham Palace expressed their "hopes and prayers that Pope Francis's health will allow the visit to take place."

The King reached out to Pope Francis, who is 88 years old, after the pontiff was diagnosed with pneumonia affecting both lungs and has been undergoing treatment at Rome's Gemelli hospital for over a month, the source noted.

Charles will be accompanied by his second wife, Camilla, during his visit to the Holy See and Italy from April 7 to April 10, marking his first official trip to both locations as king.

Following his engagement at the Vatican, the King is scheduled to meet with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.

According to Buckingham Palace, he will be the first British monarch to address a session of the Italian parliament.

His last visit to the Holy See occurred in 2019, during which he also met with Pope Francis.

After announcing in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for cancer, the 76-year-old monarch has resumed his international travels since October.

The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century after Pope Clement VII denied King Henry VIII's request to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. In response, Henry initiated the English Reformation, declaring himself the supreme leader of the Church in England and guiding it towards Protestantism.