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King Charles and Queen Camilla will no longer be traveling to The Holy See next month. Buckingham Palace has announced that Their Majesties' state visit to the Vatican "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."
"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 palace added.
Over a month after being admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 for a respiratory infection and bilateral pneumonia, Pope Francis, 88, was released from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday. In text prepared by the pontiff for the Angelus of the third Sunday of Lent (March 23), His Holiness said, "In this long period of my hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the Lord’s patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of the doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick. This trusting patience, anchored in God’s unfailing love, is indeed necessary in our lives, especially when facing the most difficult and painful situations."
Although they won't be meeting next month, Charles and Pope Francis have met in the past. His Majesty met with the pontiff during his visits in 2017 and 2019.
The King, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the Queen were due to have an audience with Pope Francis and attend a service in the Sistine Chapel during their now-postponed visit to the Holy See. While that state visit has been postponed, Charles and Camilla's state visit to Italy will continue in April.
It was previously announced that the King and Queen's state visit to Italy will include a state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale. His Majesty is also set to address a joint session of the Italian Parliament, making him the first British monarch to do so.
The palace stated earlier this month that the King and Queen's upcoming visit to Italy "will underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship: our defence relationship including in the current international context; our shared values, history and culture; our work together on the clean energy transition; and the links between our peoples and communities."
Charles has officially visited the Republic of Italy 17 times since his first visit in 1984. Queen Camilla joined the King on his visits in 2009 and 2017.