King Charles III and Queen Camilla prayed this Thursday, October 23, with Pope Leo XIV on a visit to the Vatican to strengthen relations between the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church. A historic milestone as this was the first time since the Reformation that the leaders of the two Christian churches, divided for centuries, prayed together.
Charles, who is the titular leader of the Church of England, and Camilla sat on golden thrones at the Sistine Chapel’s high altar, in front of Michelangelo’s frescoed Last Judgment, while Pope Leo XIV and the Anglican Archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service.
The music that accompanied the moment was a reflection of Anglican and Catholic musical heritage. Hymns were sung by members of the Sistine Chapel choir and by visiting members of two royal choirs: the choir of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and the children’s choir of the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace.
The spiritual moment comes at a time when the British royal family is once again under scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged the king’s brother reignited this week following the publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Epstein.