Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the planned state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla to the Vatican has been postponed as Pope Francis requires additional time to recover.
The royal couple was scheduled to visit Pope Francis in the Holy See in two weeks. However, the trip was halted after medical advice recommended more time for the pontiff’s recuperation.
This update follows Pope Francis’s discharge from the hospital on Sunday after battling a life-threatening case of pneumonia for five weeks.
The doctor leading the Pope’s treatment revealed that medical staff had briefly considered stopping treatment to ‘let him go‘.
However, they opted for an aggressive treatment approach that posed risks to his organs but ultimately saved his life.
Upon his discharge, Pope Francis appeared frail, and his doctors have advised him to follow a two-month convalescence period, avoiding large gatherings during this time.
Buckingham Palace released a statement: “The King and Queen’s State Visit to The Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended rest and recuperation. Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See once he has recovered.”
Last week, the Palace confirmed that the visit would continue despite the Pope’s illness. The visit, scheduled from April 7 to 10, was intended to mark the papal jubilee and strengthen ties between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
This significant tour would have been King Charles’ first meeting with Pope Francis as monarch and head of the Church of England.
During the Italian leg of the trip, Charles will become the first British sovereign to address both houses of the Italian parliament.
He will meet with Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The royal couple will also attend a black-tie state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale, hosted by the President.
Coincidentally, the tour coincides with Charles and Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary on April 9. Interestingly, their 2005 wedding was postponed by one day to allow Charles to attend Pope John Paul II’s funeral.
Charles and Pope Francis met in 2017 during a papal audience after a European tour and again in 2019 during the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman.
