What King Charles’s Body Language Revealed During His Vatican Visit

Just as expected

Published Oct 23, 2025

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4:22pm

Samir Hussein/WireImage

The day has finally arrived. King Charles and Queen Camilla are on their State Visit to the Holy See. Their trip is packed with historic moments, including attending the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee celebrations. But first, the King and Queen met Pope Leo XIV for the first time since his 2025 election. They gathered at the Vatican before joining the Pope for an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel, where they prayed alongside him. While the moment was historic on its own, it was King Charles’s body language that really caught attention.

With any historic moment comes lots of photos and, as we know, body language often says way more than words ever could. In one photo (below), King Charles shakes hands with the Pope, both wearing gentle smiles.

Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

It’s a classic formal greeting, but PureWow’s VP of News and Entertainment, Phil Mutz, points out, “Seems much more formal and stiff than usual,” which “indicated the importance of the moment.”

In another shot, Pope Leo XIV poses with King Charles and Queen Camilla on either side during an audience at the Apostolic Palace. Like before, it looks like a standard formal pose but there’s definitely a bit more space between the King and the Pope than usual, not in a cold way, though.

It’s giving "friendly, but not overly friendly," as Phil puts it.

Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

During their State Visit, Charles and Camilla will also visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls and attend a reception at The Pontifical Beda College, which trains priests from across the Commonwealth.

Another key stop? Meeting Catholic Sisters from The International Union of Superiors General, an organization doing grassroots work to combat violence against women and girls.

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Clara Stein

Freelance PureWow Editor

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