Queen Camilla makes history as Pope grants her an extremely rare title

Queen Camilla has been granted a prestigious honour by Pope Leo during the British royals' state visit to the Vatican.

King Charles III and Camilla touched down in Rome yesterday (22 October) for a two-day state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican.

And a whole lot of history has already been made.

The British monarch and Head of the Church of England, 76, and the head of the Catholic church, 70, prayed together in the Sistine Chapel this morning, which was a highly-anticipated moment.

It marked the first time a British monarch and pontiff have done so in more than 500 years, marking a symbol of unity between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.

During the first day of the visit, rare honours have also been exchanged between the Pope and the King and Queen.

Camilla has been awarded the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX.

The pope has made the King and Queen a knight and dame of the order of Pius IX (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As per The Telegraph, the King will become Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX, while Camilla will become Dame Grand Cross of the same order.

The honour is is a papal order of knighthood which was founded in 1560 and is the highest honour currently conferred by the Holy See.

It is a highly prestigious papal honour which is awarded to women for distinguished service to the Catholic Church and society.

The Grand Cross is typically worn suspended from a broad ribbon over the right shoulder, with a star worn on the left breast, as it was seen being sported by Camilla today.

One Twitter user penned: "Wow! The Pope has granted Queen Camilla the title of Lady of The Great Cross of The Order of Pope Pius IX! The highest honour of The Holy See! This is huuuuge!!"

Meanwhile, the King has also received an honour from the Pope and will become Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, the order traditionally given to heads of state.

The visit and joint prayer marked a highly significant moment, especially for King Charles, who has been a longstanding campaigner for building bridges between faiths, reports the BBC.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said ahead of the trip: "The visit will mark Their Majesties’ first meeting with Pope Leo XIV since his election in May 2025.

In return, the Pope has been gifted an honour from the British royals (Handout/Getty Images)

"The visit will also mark a significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor, recognising the ecumenical work they have undertaken and reflecting the Jubilee year’s theme of walking together as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’."

It continued: "This will be the first state visit, since the Reformation, where the Pope and the Monarch will pray together in an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel, and the first time the monarch will have attended a service in St Paul’s Outside the Walls, a church with an historic connection to the English Crown."

And Queen Camilla's honour was not the only thing that drew attention, as onlookers have also been talking about her all-black outfit, including her prominent veil.

The headpiece is called a mantilla, traditionally worn by women during Catholic services and they remain as protocol for female dignitaries when meeting the Pope.