Relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England have become even closer now that King Charles III has bestowed a rare honor upon Pope Leo XIV.
In addition to being Britain’s monarch, Charles also holds the position of Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
A Royal Honor
On Friday, October 23, Buckingham Palace announced that the 77-year-old king had named 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 Buckingham Palace announcement.
“It recognizes 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,” the announcement continued.
“It also reflects the deep mutual esteem between His Holiness and His Majesty and their shared desire for Christian unity,” that official announcement concluded.
A Similar Honor for Charles
As People points out, this new honor comes a year after the pope presented Charles with a similar title during the royal’s state visit to the Vatican in October 2025, where he was accompanied by Queen Camilla.
At that time, the Leo welcomed Charles as Royal Confrater of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome, with the king presented with a specially commissioned chair to commemmorate his appointment. The chair was placed next the monastic stalls at the Basilicia of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome.
Per the report, a corresponding chair commissioned for Pope Leo will soon be unveiled at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, at a date to be announced later.
During that 2025 visit to Rome, King Charles and Queen Camilla received one of the Vatican’s highest ceremonial honors for any head of state when the Windsor Royal Standard was raised above that of the pope at the entrance of the Apostolic Palace.
A History-Making Moment
King Charles’ visit to the Vatican included a history-making moment that had been more than five centuries in the making.
Charles participated in a ecumenical service alongside the pope in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first time since the Reformation in the 16th century that a British monarch and a Catholic pope prayed together in public.
The latest honor for Pope Leo arrived a few days after Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming that King Charles would be writing a letter to the pontiff to send his best wishes as the pope recovers from a surgical procedure following a diagnosis of lung cancer.
On October 21, the pope’s personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and Professor Stefano Margaritor confirmed that the surgery had been a success and that “no further treatment is necessary” at the moment after a cancerous node was removed from the pope’s lung.
Charles is likewise engaged in his own cancer battle, announcing in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with “a form of cancer” after undergoing a prostate exam.
King Charles Bestows Rare Honor on Pope Leo A Year After Their Historic Meeting