Cliff Notes
- The King and Queen’s state visit to the Vatican has been postponed as Pope Francis recovers from pneumonia, according to Buckingham Palace.
- Despite the postponement, the royal tour of Italy from 7-10 April will still proceed, albeit with adjustments to the itinerary.
King and Queen’s state visit to Vatican postponed as Pope recovers from illness, palace says | UK News
The King and Queen’s state visit to the Vatican has been postponed by mutual agreement as the Pope recovers from illness, Buckingham Palace said.
The pope arrived home to the Vatican after spending five weeks in hospital battling a life-threatening bout of pneumonia on Sunday.
A statement said, “medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation”.
The King and Queen’s tour of Italy is understood to still be going ahead, however, there are expected to be some changes to the programme.
The trip from 7-10 April was set to celebrate the papal jubilee and the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
“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 said in a statement.
Pope Francis, 88, had been in hospital since 14 February before being discharged on Sunday.
Last week, the Palace announced the trip to the Vatican would go ahead despite the pontiff’s continued illness.
Additional sources
- King Charles cancels visit to Vatican as Pope Francis told to rest – Reuters
- King and Queen cancel Vatican visit as Pope recovers from illness – The Times
- Pope Francis was so close to death that doctors considered ending treatment – The Guardian
- King Charles III’s audience with Pope Francis postponed by mutual agreement on medical advice – Associated Press
- King Charles postpones Vatican visit to give Pope Francis more recovery time – Catholic News Agency