Overview

• Buckingham Palace said the King and Queen will hold their first official audience with Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City in late October.
• The visit reschedules an April stop that was canceled due to Pope Francis’s ill health; the couple met him privately on April 9 shortly before his death.
• The royals will join Jubilee Year events under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” with a focus on ecumenical cooperation between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.
• Specific dates and a full itinerary have not been announced, with further details expected closer to the trip.
• The meeting carries added resonance as Charles is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and Leo XIV, elected in May, has emphasized peace, justice and issues such as artificial intelligence.