British royals visit Vatican in historic step for churches and welcome respite from Epstein scandal
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at the Vatican on Thursday for a historic visit to forge closer relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, a welcome spiritual respite for the royals from the turmoil at home over the Epstein sex scandal.
Charles, who is the titular head of the Church of England, arrived with Camilla in a St. Peter’s Square that had been nearly emptied by security forces. The king and queen had an audience with Pope Leo XIV, their first since his election in May.
The highlight of the visit was to be a midday prayer service in the Sistine Chapel that marks the first time since the Reformation that the heads of the two Christian churches will pray together. The Catholic Church and Church of England have been divided for centuries over issues that include the ordination of female priests and LGBTQ+ faithful.
During the visit to Rome, Charles was also to formally receive a new title and recognition at a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. The title “Royal Confrater” is a sign of spiritual fellowship and was reciprocated by Charles: Leo was given the title of “Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”
The visit comes as the British royal family is once again under intense scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged the king’s brother was reignited this week after a memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre was published.
The 65-year-old prince has said he will stop using his titles, including Duke of York, but has “vigorously” denied Giuffre’s claims. Buckingham Palace and the U.K. government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title, and kick him out of the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives.
Charles and Camilla’s visit and exchange of titles had actually been planned for earlier this year but was rescheduled after Pope Francis got sick and then died. Charles had strongly wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.
Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. While popes for decades have forged warm relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion on a path toward greater unity, the two churches remain divided over issues such as the ordination of female priests, which the Catholic Church prohibits.
