King Charles Bestows Rare Title to Pope Leo One Year After Their Historic Meeting

Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with King Charles in San Damaso courtyard during a State visit to the Vatican on Oct. 23, 2025Credit: Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via Getty

King Charles bestowed a rare honor on Pope Leo XIV, making him the Papal Confrater of the College of St. George at St. George’s Chapel

An announcement from the palace said the title “reflects the deep mutual esteem between His Holiness and His Majesty and their shared desire for Christian unity”

King Charles visited the Vatican last year, where he was welcomed as Royal Confrater of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome, a reciprocal honor

King Charles has bestowed a rare honor upon Pope Leo XIV.

On Friday, Oct. 23, Buckingham Palace announced that the King, 77, was naming the Pope, 71, as Papal Confrater of the College of St. George at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.

“This act of confraternity represents a visible sign of spiritual fellowship, ecumenical friendship and Christian fraternity,” read the palace’s announcement. “It recognises both the centuries-old relationship between the College and Chapel of St George, Windsor and the Holy See, and the progress in relations between the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.”

“It also reflects the deep mutual esteem between His Holiness and His Majesty and their shared desire for Christian unity. “

Pope Leo XVI, King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Prayer Service at the Sistine Chapel at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on Oct. 23, 2025Credit: Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty

The honor follows a similar title that the Pope presented to King Charles during his state visit with Queen Camilla to the Vatican last October.

At that time, the King was welcomed as Royal Confrater of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome. He was presented with a specially commissioned chair to mark the appointment, which was placed beside the monastic stalls at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

A corresponding chair for Pope Leo XIV will be unveiled at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor at a later date.

King Charles III attends a service in recognition of His Majesty becoming Royal Confrater during a visit to the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls on Oct. 23, 2025Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

During that visit, the King and Queen were greeted with one of the highest ceremonial honours awarded to heads of state: the Windsor Royal Standard raised above that of the pope at the entrance of the Apostolic Palace.

The King also took part in a historic moment, as he participated in a solemn ecumenical service alongside the Pope in the Sistine Chapel. The service, under the legendary Michelangelo ceiling, marked the first time a British monarch prayed with a Pope in public since the Reformation in the 16th Century.

The honor comes just a few days after Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King was planning to write to Pope Leo to share his well wishes following the Vatican’s announcement that doctors had confirmed a diagnosis of lung cancer after the pontiff’s Oct. 13 surgical procedure.

On Oct. 21, Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritor confirmed that the surgery had sucessfully removed the cancerous node from the pope’s lung and “no further treatment is necessary” at this time.

King Charles; Pope LeoCredit: Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty; Franco Origlia/Getty

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King Charles has undergone treatment for “a form of cancer” since announcing his diagnosis in February 2024. While details of the King’s diagnosis and treatment have largely been kept private, he announced in December 2025 that his treatment would be “reduced” in the coming year.

While avoiding the word “remission,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously confirmed that the King’s recovery had reached a notably positive stage.

“His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment, and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” the spokesperson said. “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”

Source: Entertainment