Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will be heading to the Vatican City next month. The royal couple will meet with Pope Leo as they celebrate the Jubilee Year, which is traditionally held every 25 years. This year's theme is 'Pilgrims of Hope' and to honour the theme, the King and Queen are also set to celebrate the ecumenical work by both the Church of England and the Catholic Church. HELLO! understands that further engagements for the couple will be confirmed closer to the date.
The most recent Catholic Jubilee was held between 2015 and 2016; however, this was deemed to be an extraordinary jubilee as the traditional 25 years had not passed when the late Pope Francis called it. The jubilee was held around the world with Francis opening the first holy door in Bangui, the Central African Republic, during a tour of eastern Africa. The jubilee ended on 20 November 2016 following the closure of the holy door at St Peter's Basilica.
The most-recent predetermined jubilee was held in 2000, where it was called the Great Jubilee by the late Pope John Paul II. Holy doors were opened across the Vatican, while celebrities like Bono and Bob Geldof used the event to raise awareness of developing nations that had accrued foreign debts that were likely to be unpayable.
Previous visit to the Vatican
Charles and Camilla visited the Vatican City back in April, where they privately met with the late Pope Francis. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "Their Majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them for a private meeting and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person." HELLO! understands that their meeting was held at the last-minute and depended on the late pontiff's health.
After Francis died on 21 April, the royal couple said: "My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.
© Alamy Stock Photo"His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.
"The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month. We end our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ."
© GettyOver on The HELLO! Royal Club, HELLO!'s royal editor Emily Nash has addressed recent rumours of a rift between King Charles and his heir, Prince William. Emily spoke to royal insiders to get to the truth of the matter, and you can find out what they said by clicking the button below and joining HELLO!'s biggest royal fans in the biggest royal community online.
This will be the first time that Charles and Camilla have met with the new pope since his election, with the monarch's younger brother, Prince Edward, representing him at Leo's inauguration. HELLO! understands that following Leo's election as pope, Charles expressed his "warmest wishes" and acknowledged Pope Leo's "lifelong dedication to service, compassion and spiritual leadership".
