With the gracious approval of His Majesty The King, The Dean and Canons of Windsor are delighted to announce that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of the College of St George at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
This act of confraternity represents a visible sign of spiritual fellowship, ecumenical friendship and Christian fraternity. It recognises both the centuries-old relationship between the College and Chapel of St George, Windsor and the Holy See, and the progress in relations between the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. It also reflects the deep mutual esteem between His Holiness and His Majesty and their shared desire for Christian unity.
This week marks a year since the historic State Visit to the Holy See, undertaken by Their Majesties The King and Queen, during which His Majesty was welcomed as Royal Confrater of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, in Rome.
Background
On 23rd October 2025, Their Majesties met His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and visited the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls during a State Visit to the Holy See. During the visit, and with The Pope’s approval, the Archpriest of the Papal Basilica and the Abbot of St Paul’s Outside the Walls welcomed The King as Royal Confrater of the Abbey. Before the mid-sixteenth century, the Kings of England had a historic role in right of St Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome. In response, and with the approval of His Majesty and the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Dean and Canons of Windsor invited The Pope to become Papal Confrater of the College and Chapel of St George and His Holiness has graciously accepted.
These reciprocal acts of confraternity are tangible expressions of spiritual fellowship and a shared commitment to Christian unity. King Henry VIII’s Reformation prompted a historic separation from the Roman Catholic Church. Mindful of the value of Christian unity, in an increasingly polarised and turbulent world, The King and The Pope have joined together in Christian brotherhood and, for the first time in half a millennium, are receiving religious titles which underscore what unites rather than what separates the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England.
To mark these signs of confraternity, specially commissioned chairs have been created for the two religious sites. The chair presented to The King sits next to the monastic stalls in St Paul’s Outside the Walls. A corresponding chair for The Pope, will be unveiled at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in due course.
Later this autumn, The King will attend a service during which a Mosaic Icon of the Christ of Cefalù, gifted to His Majesty by His Holiness during the State Visit, will be dedicated and installed in the South Quire Aisle of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
