Pope Leo XIV Accepts an Honorary Title From Windsor: The First Such Exchange Between a Pope and a British Monarch in About 500 Years

Henry VIII did not get permission from Rome to divorce Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn - and England set up its own church. Five centuries later, the British royal household has announced that Pope Leo XIV has accepted honorary membership of the College of St George at the chapel in Windsor Castle. According to the palace, this is the first reciprocal religious honour between a pope and a British monarch in roughly 500 years.

The word "reciprocal" is not decoration. The title of "royal confrater" was first given to Charles III. In 2025, after Leo XIV was elected pope on May 8, the King and Queen Camilla travelled to Rome, and Charles, with the Pope's approval, was received as an honorary confrater of the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. That is a church with which English kings had a historic link right up until the break with Rome in the 16th century. The Dean and Canons of Windsor, with the support of the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, then invited the Pope to receive a matching honour at Windsor.

The palace statement speaks of a "visible sign of spiritual communion, ecumenical friendship and Christian fellowship". Palace statements rarely skimp on adjectives. But behind the protocol lies a concrete turnaround: in October 2025, during a state visit to the Vatican, Charles and Leo XIV prayed together at a service in the Sistine Chapel on October 23. It was the first time in five centuries that a British monarch had prayed publicly with a Catholic pope.

The turnaround looks even bigger in hindsight. In 1985, during a visit to the Vatican with his then-wife Diana, Queen Elizabeth II did not allow Charles to attend a papal Mass. Forty years later, Charles is the monarch and is personally leading the reconciliation his mother kept at arm's length. Charles has argued for years for better dialogue between the Anglican and Catholic churches, and now he has the crown to make it official.

The announcement comes at an awkward time for the Vatican. On October 13 the Pope underwent emergency surgery: the lower lobe of his right lung was removed after he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Doctors confirmed that the tumour was completely removed and that no further treatment is needed, but the Pope is still recovering and has cancelled a trip to Assisi scheduled for October 27. Charles, who was himself diagnosed with cancer in 2024, sent him a personal letter with his best wishes.

Rome and Canterbury will remain two churches; no title will change that. But after five centuries, two institutions that split over one divorce are exchanging honours instead of anathemas. The Balkans know very well how long a church quarrel can last. Will we ever see a reconciliation like this between our own churches?