The Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, the acting priestly head of the Church of England, will be with Charles III, the Supreme Head of the Church of England, at an ecumenical service with Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel today.
It will be the first time a reigning monarch of England has prayed with a pope for at least 500 years.
It is also the first state visit to be received by Pope Leo since his election to the papacy in May, although he has received many heads of state in audiences at the Vatican, and last week made his first state visit – to the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.
The Archbishop headed the large delegation from the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion that attended the inauguration of Pope Leo in May, and in April he attended the funeral of Pope Francis.
Yesterday, he travelled with the King and Queen in the royal plane which landed in Rome’s Ciampino airport, shortly before 6pm British time, 7pm Italian time.