What's something that takes centuries to make and moments to break? A royal tradition! And King Charles did just that this morning, breaking a 500-year-old tradition during his visit to the Vatican.
ICYMI, King Charles and Queen Camilla are currently on a royal visit to meet with new Pope Leo. The visit is taking place to build links between the Church of England (which Charles is the head of) and the Catholic Church. The two religions have been very much separate since the time of King Henry VIII's reign.
To recap, Henry broke from the Catholic Church to annul his marriage with Catherine of Aragon after she failed to give him a male heir. The Pope refused to grant this annulment, prompting Henry to initiate the creation of the Church of England, which he declared himself the Supreme Head of in 1534.
And that key moment in history is why today's meeting between Charles and the Pope is so significant. The pair headed to the Sistine Chapel and, under the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, prayed together. In doing so, they have become the first British monarch and pontiff to pray together at a church service since the 16th Century.
Speaking about this important royal meeting, a Foreign Office spokesperson told the BBC: “The Catholic Church is the largest denomination of the world's largest religion [and the King and Queen's visit will] strengthen the UK's relationship with this crucial and influential partner.”
Charles and Camilla are on a two-day state visit to the Vatican, although it was initially delayed. The royal couple had a private meeting with Pope Francis on their twentieth wedding anniversary in April of this year, but their state visit to the Vatican was postponed due to his ill health. It was one of the late Pope's last meetings with high-profile visitors, as he passed away just days later.
Pope Francis was succeeded by Pope Leo (AKA Robert Francis Prevost), whom Charles and Camilla met with today.
