King Charles could have ruined possibility of ‘unprecedented’ honour | Royal | News
A Royal expert has suggested that King Charles may have jeopardised his prospects of securing an honour from Pope Leo XIV following the selection of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Earlier this month, Dame Sarah made history by becoming the first woman ever appointed to the position.
Taking over from Justin Welby, the former NHS chief nurse received congratulations from both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and King Charles, who serves as the technical head of the Church of England.
Royal commentator Ephraim Hardcastle has argued that this single development could dash King Charles’ hopes of obtaining a papal knighthood from Pope Leo, who assumed the papacy following the death of Pope Francis earlier this year.
The King and Queen Camilla had an audience with Pope Leo’s predecessor shortly before the pontiff’s passing, reports the Mirror.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Ephraim said: “The King arrives in the Vatican today to receive the gift of a special chair when the Pope makes him a Royal Confrater.
“The King was being considered for a papal knighthood by Pope Francis, something unprecedented since Henry VIII broke from Rome nearly 500 years ago.
“The honour, which would once have been unthinkable, was for the King’s ecumenical zeal and reconciliation between Anglicans and Catholics.
“Unfortunately, in throwing a spanner into the reconciliation apparatus by allowing the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles may have scuppered his chances.”
Regarding why the King was receiving the honour of Royal Confrater at this time, a Church of England spokesperson explained to the Daily Express: “The Royal Confrater title… is a tribute to His Majesty and to his own work over many decades to find common ground between faiths and to bring people together.
“It is intended as an ecumenical gesture of hospitality that bears witness to the historic ties between what is now the United Kingdom and the Basilica, and celebrates the deep and warm friendship between the two churches.”
This unprecedented modern-day official meeting between a British sovereign and a Pope has triggered conjecture about both their planned activities and the timing of this reconciliation, with observers suggesting it aligns with the King’s mission to unite diverse communities.
A royal source told the Express that the encounter would be “deeply significant for the King personally,” forming a crucial element of his ambition to bridge divides between different groups.
