Charles, the ceremonial leader of the Church of England, and Camilla were seated on golden thrones at the elevated altar of the Sistine Chapel, positioned in front of Michelangelo’s iconic Last Judgment. On Thursday, they participated in an ecumenical service led by Pope Leo and the Anglican Archbishop of York.

This historic occasion marked the first joint prayer between the heads of the two Christian denominations since the Reformation. The churches have been divided for centuries over various issues, including the ordination of female priests.

The service featured a blend of Anglican and Catholic musical traditions, with hymns performed by the Sistine Chapel choir alongside guest singers from two royal choirs: St. George’s Chapel choir from Windsor Castle and the children’s choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace.

The visit occurs amid renewed scrutiny of the British royal family, particularly regarding Prince Andrew’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This ongoing controversy has resurfaced following the release of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers.

Prince Andrew, now 65, has announced he will cease using his titles, including the Duke of York, but he has “vigorously” denied Giuffre’s allegations. Buckingham Palace and the UK government face mounting pressure to officially strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely status and to evict him from his 30-room residence near Windsor Castle.

Charles and Camilla’s visit and exchange of titles had actually been planned for earlier this year but was rescheduled after Pope Francis got sick and then died. Charles had strongly wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.

A visit to strengthen ties between two churches

Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. While popes for decades have forged warm relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion on a path toward greater unity, the two churches remain divided.

The Sistine Chapel service, though, marked a historic new step toward unity and included readings and prayers focused on the unifying theme of God the creator.

Later Thursday, Charles was also to formally receive a new title and recognition at a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. The title “Royal Confrater” is a sign of spiritual fellowship and was reciprocated by Charles: Leo was given the title of “Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”

At the basilica, Charles will be given a special chair decorated with his coat of arms, bearing the Latin exhortation “Ut Unum Sint” (That they may be one), the mantra for Christian unity. The chair will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use, officials said.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, said the king’s visit strengthens the relationship forged by Queen Elizabeth II, who came to Rome six times during her reign, including during the 2000 Holy Year.

“Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of a genuine and profound co-operation,” he told The Associated Press. He recalled that Charles accepted his constitutional role as supreme governor of the Church of England, “but also his role in protecting freedom of religion and the important role of faith in society across his kingdom.”

The visit comes just weeks after the election of the first female archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. She did not join the king and queen at the Vatican since she hasn’t been formally installed as the Church of England’s spiritual leader. In her place was the archbishop of York, the Most. Rev. Stephen Cottrell.

Visit comes amid strains in Anglican Communion

While the king copes with tensions over the Epstein scandal at home, Mullally’s election has heightened tensions within the Anglican Communion abroad.

The Anglican Communion has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries, with the archbishop of Canterbury considered the “first among equals” among its bishops. But following Mullally’s appointment, a long-building schism in the Anglican Communion appears close to a final rupture.

An organization of conservative Anglican primates — representing a majority of the communion’s membership, primarily in Africa — announced it is rejecting all of the bureaucratic links that have historically connected the Anglican Communion.

The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, known as Gafcon, says it’s forming a new structure, although it claims it represents the historic Anglican Communion in a “reordered” form.

Its statement denounced the LGBTQ-affirming stances of some parts of the Anglican Communion as precipitating the break, a reference to positions taken by the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

But it closely followed another Gafcon statement lamenting Mullally’s appointment, saying that many believe only men can be bishops and rejecting her office as a defining point of Anglican unity.