King Charles, Queen Camilla arrive in Rome: Royal family in the Holy See through the years

King Charles and Queen Camilla have landed in Rome — the reigning monarch is set to become the first in his position to publicly pray with a Catholic pope after 500 years.

Following their arrival at the capital’s airport, the royals were received by the King’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott.

While, to celebrate the “special” tour, the royal family’s official Instagram page shared a detailed post featuring the Crown’s previous engagements with the Vatican.

“This week, the King and Queen will visit the Holy See on a special State Visit,” the first slide on the post’s carousel read.

It further described, “Their majesties will join His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year.”

Notably, the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year is essentially a period of repentance and forgiveness “in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation”, according to CAFOD, the official agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Moreover, the King and Queen’s visit “will mark a significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, of which His Majesty is the Supreme Governor.”

Meanwhile, the succeeding slides from the royal family’s post showcased a throwback of his majesty in the Holy See, with many of the moments occurring when he was the Prince of Wales.

From the King and Queen’s Vatican visit earlier this year to meet the ailing Pope Francis, to Charles’ prior trips “on five occasions”, the snaps further featured Pope John Paul II’s visit to the UK, when the former Prince observed “the first ever visit to the UK by a reigning Pope”. While his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, were also highlighted for their excursions to the Vatican — the first in April 1951, while Elizabeth was still a princess, and another one in 1961 “as Queen”.

It is crucial to remember that King Charles is set to assume the title “Royal Confrater of Saint Paul” during the ongoing state visit.