King Charles and Queen Camilla Postpone Pope Francis Visit Under Holy See’s Medical Orders

Last week, King Charles III and Queen Camilla announced that a royal tour to Italy and the Vatican would take place during the first week of March. The announcement was originally made despite Pope Francis’s five-week inpatient stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for double pneumonia. On Sunday, the pope returned home, but his recovery is still ongoing, and on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the king and queen would postpone their visit to the Vatican, though their Italy tour will otherwise proceed as planned.

“The king and queen’s state visit to The Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation,” a palace said in a statement. “Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered.”

The trip is set to run from April 7 to 10, and the royal itinerary includes Dante’s tomb in Rome along with a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Ravenna’s liberation at the end of World War II. The trip to the Vatican was set to coincide with the 2025 Papal Jubilee year, emphasizing “a significant step forward in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England” under the current reign.

Before returning to the Vatican, the 88-year-old Francis made an appearance on the hospital’s balcony with an oxygen cannula in his nose. According to the AP, doctors believe that the pope will require at least two months of convalescence to recover fully.