King Charles III and Queen Camilla are welcomed by British Ambassador to the Holy See Christopher Trott, left, after landing at Rome's Ciampino airport on Thursday. Pool/Getty Images Rome —

King Charles III ’s state visit to the Vatican gets underway on Thursday, when he will become the first British monarch to pray with a pope in 500 years, after a bruising week back home with the continued fallout over the Prince Andrew scandal .

King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time since his election in May, following their arrival in Rome on Wednesday evening to celebrate the holy Jubilee year, which takes place every quarter of a century.

The couple landed at Ciampino airport and were greeted by a delegation including the UK’s Ambassador to the Holy S

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