King Charles aims for papal meeting amid health uncertainties
King Charles III of the United Kingdom plans to visit Pope Francis at the beginning of April. The information was reported by Reuters, citing a source at Buckingham Palace. Let's recall that the Holy Father is still staying at the Gemelli Clinic due to health conditions, which are fortunately improving.
According to Reuters, King Charles III hopes to visit Pope Francis during his trip to the Vatican and Italy, which is scheduled for April. The agency cites a source at Buckingham Palace.
In February, the palace announced that Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will travel to Rome in April and meet with the 88-year-old pope. However, a few days later, Francis was hospitalized due to a severe respiratory infection.
Pope Francis still in hospital. King Charles wants to visit him
On Sunday, the Vatican released the first photo of the pope since his hospital admission on February 14, stating that his condition is gradually improving and that he is using less mechanical ventilation at night to aid breathing.
The three-day visit of the British royal couple is set to start on April 7, with the meeting with the pope planned for the next day. Royal officials expressed "hope and prayers for the health of Pope Francis so that the visit can take place," which, according to the palace source, is shared by Charles and Camilla.
The 76-year-old King of the United Kingdom, who is undergoing cancer treatment, reportedly sent a private letter to the pope when he fell ill. Charles and his wife Camilla have previously met during visits to Rome in 2017 and 2019, when he was still a prince.
Plans for King Charles's visit to the Apennine Peninsula are already known. The monarch is to visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, which held special significance for English kings before the split with Rome. The royal couple will also visit the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Charles and Camilla's visit to Italy also includes meetings with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as an address to both houses of parliament – for the first time in the history of a British monarch.
Interestingly, the trip coincides with the 20th wedding anniversary of Charles and Camilla, who married on April 9, 2005. Their wedding took place a day after the funeral of Pope John Paul II, which Charles attended as the heir to the throne.
