Queen Camilla takes Vatican by charm, goes solo as Charles meets Pope

Queen Camilla stepped into a spotlight moment at the Holy See today in what blossomed into one of her most symbolically powerful engagements to date. 

As part of the state visit of King Charles III, she embarked on a solo segment of the day’s programme.

Dressed in traditional black a custom reserved for Catholic queens meeting the Pope she wore a silk Fiona Clare dress paired with a Philip Treacy mantilla and arboreal headpiece that perfectly balanced reverence with regal confidence.

King Charles, sharp in a tailored blue suit, joined the Pope inside the Sistine Chapel for what will be remembered as a milestone moment, the first time a British monarch has prayed alongside a pontiff since the 16th-century Reformation. 

Ever mindful of detail, Queen Camilla added a poignant finishing touch, a family heirloom known as the raspberry pip brooch, inherited from Queen Elizabeth II. 

Though the late monarch never wore it publicly, Camilla has made it her own quiet tribute, a sparkling nod to her mother-in-law’s lifetime of service. 

She became queen consort on 8th September 2022 and has since introduced fresh approaches to her role, such as replacing the traditional “lady-in-waiting” framework with a more flexible “queen’s companion” model.

Earlier this year, during the four-day state visit to Italy, Camilla expressed feeling “very sad to be going home” at the end of the trip highlighting both her comfort in diplomatic settings and her growing ease with large scale engagements.