The King’s historic visit to the Vatican was truly unprecedented.
The outpouring of love for the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, in an overwhelmingly Catholic country, was something that would have been unheard of even 50 years ago.
For decades, the King has championed and promoted interfaith harmony.
His spokesman said it had “seldom been more important for Christian communities around the world to unite in faith and in fellowship with our partners” as our world faces many challenges.
So, praying publicly with the Pope in the Sistine Chapel could form an important part of King Charles’s legacy – bringing communities together, as others threaten to divide.
Across town, outside the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted the public, some of whom had been waiting hours.
British and Italian Catholics formed part of the crowd, and some of them told me just how special and unprecedented it was for the King to start a new chapter of warm relations with the Catholic Church.
King Henry VIII dramatically cut ties with the Vatican to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in 1533.
King Charles ends triumphant Vatican visit but Prince Andrew problem is far from over
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It has taken 500 years to fully rebuild that bond, and King Charles has been instrumental in doing so.
In an unprecedented move, Pope Leo XIV accompanied King Charles and Queen Camilla into the San Damaso Courtyard, the formal entrance to the Apostolic Palace, to bid a formal farewell in front of the cameras.
I understand no Pope has ever honoured a foreign Head of State in this way.
Uncomfortably for Buckingham Palace and His Majesty’s Government, MPs are becoming increasingly vocal about Prince Andrew’s living arrangements.
Pope Leo and King Charles prayed together in a historic scene
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The King’s brother appears to have been paying “peppercorn rent” for two decades, potentially meaning taxpayers have lost out on thousands of pounds in Crown Estate revenue.
Italians, however, seemed indifferent to the growing anger from the British public.
Overall, it appears to have been another successful outward state visit for King Charles III.
I suspect he wasn’t relaxing on the plane journey back, however, as the Prince Andrew problem is far from being resolved.
