The actual motive King Charles needed to transfer his wedding ceremony day to Queen Camilla as couple have fun their twentieth anniversary

As King Charles and Queen Camilla prepare to visit the Holy See next month, staunch royal observers may recognise a familiar date.  

In February 2005, it was announced Charles and Camilla would tie the knot on April 8 in a civil service at Windsor Guildhall.

However, on April 2 the Vatican announced Pope John Paul II had died and his funeral would take place on the same day as the nuptials.

Diplomatic sources soon said the prime minister, Tony Blair, would be going to Rome, not the royal wedding, making it the first time a serving prime minister attended the funeral of a pontiff.

Echoing Blair’s sentiment, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, also confirmed he would go, establishing him as the first sitting archbishop to attend. Dr Williams was due to bless the then prince’s wedding but made it clear he wished to go to Rome. 

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Pope’s funeral must take priority and insisted Charles was very keen to be sensitive. 

He agreed to postpone his wedding by 24 hours and attended the The Requiem Mass in Rome himself on behalf of the Queen.

It is historically significant the Royal family deferred to the Vatican in changing its plans, given the long and tense history between the two institutions. 

The Requiem Mass was said to have set world records both for attendance and number of heads of state present at a funeral. 

Charles first met Pope John Paul in 1985 when he visited Rome with Diana.

Vatican protocol dictates the prince had to meet the pontiff alone before being joined by the duchess and then other members of the royal household.

He also met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2009 but did not attend his funeral as Benedict was neither head of the Catholic Church nor head of the Vatican City State.

Charles and Camilla married in 2005 on a Saturday, which strayed from tradition. 

It is royal convention to have weddings on weekdays, but this rule has been broken on occasions – including when Harry and Meghan married on Saturday May 19, 2018.

This is not a set rule and there is no explanation for why royals tend to opt for a weekday ceremony. 

Royal weddings often take place at Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, which host services every day. It may simply be a case of the royals not wanting to disrupt the church’s scheduled hours of worship at the weekend.

But the now King and Queen consort have had a far from conventional relationship.

The two had both been married previously and second weddings had only recently been recognised by the Church of England when they tied the knot.

The union took place at Windsor Guildhall and was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George’s Chapel.

The late Queen and Prince Philip did not attend the civil ceremony but were present at the dedication and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle afterwards. 

This year, Charles and Camilla’s upcoming state visits to the Holy See and Italy will take place from April 7 to April 10.

This comes as Pope Francis continues to battle pneumonia and it is understood royal officials are in daily contact with the Vatican.

Charles is reported to have written privately to Pope Francis when he was first taken ill. 

During the visit Charles and Camilla will travel to Rome and Ravenna are expected to join the pontiff in celebrating the 2025 Jubilee. 

The event is traditionally held once every 25 years and this year’s theme is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. 

The aim of the upcoming visit is to ‘celebrate UK’s warm bilateral relationship with each country,’ according to Buckingham Palace.

A spokesperson said: ‘The visit to the Holy See will be an historic visit in the year of the Papal Jubilee and will mark a significant step forward in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England with a special service in the Sistine Chapel.

‘The visit to Italy will underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship: our defence relationship including in the current international context; our shared values, history and culture; our work together on the clean energy transition; and the links between our peoples and communities.’

As Prince of Wales, Charles visited the Holy See five times in 1985, 2005 for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, 2009, 2017 and 2019 for the Canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman.

He first visited Italy in 1984 and has been to the country 17 times with his most recent visit taking place in October 2021 for the G20 Summit in Rome. Camilla joined him on two of these visits in 2009 and 2017.

Queen Elizabeth visited the Holy See and the Italy four times, each time accompanied by Prince Philip.

The King and Queen’s upcoming state visit will coincide with their platinum wedding anniversary and the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death.

There is hope the 2025 Jubilee will be a chance for the royals and pontiff to reflect on the past quarter of a century and the now strong allyship of the two countries.

It is expected Buckingham Palace will continue to keep a close eye on the Pope’s health until then.