Skip To...
King Charles sends a subtle message on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla hours after the new pope’s name emerged as Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV. On Thursday, May 8, the Chicago native was elected as the 267th Pontiff of the Catholic church, and the Bishop of Rome, following a conclave that lasted less than 48 hours. His election followed the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on 21 April 2025, following an illness. Since the announcement of Leo XIV as the late pope’s successor, several world leaders have turned to social platforms to congratulate him on his election as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Leading figures like US President Donald Trump, his Vice President, JD Vance, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, and Italy’s President Giorgia Meloni all extended warm wishes to Robert Prevost, acknowledging his name as the new pope. The Prime Ministers of Greece, Spain, and the UK, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Pedro Sanchez, and Keir Starmer, respectively, also joined the congratulatory fest on social media, jointly welcoming Pope Leo XIV into the “league” of world leaders on Thursday. However, neither King Charles nor his son, Prince William, acknowledged the new pope on their public platforms despite sharing multiple social media posts on Thursday in honor of the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
King Charles Makes Power Move Following Robert Prevost’s Election
Difusing any pent-up tensions, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that King Charles had congratulated the new pope via a private message. Without delving into the content of the “private message,” a Palace spokesperson confirmed that His Majesty sent “most sincere good wishes for his pontificate” on behalf of himself and the Queen. The King’s decision to send a private congratulatory message, rather than make a public post, followed a longstanding royal protocol, per the Jersey Evening Post.
The protocol in question dictates that the monarch and his heir apparent only send a private congratulatory message to an elected ruler after their inauguration. King Charles altered this protocol following Trump’s election win last year, sharing a private message with him soon after, followed by another private message to the POTUS on his inauguration day. This move is largely believed to be a diplomatic power move. Hence, by not publicly acknowledging Robert Prevost, who opted for the Papal moniker Pope Leo XIV after his conclave election, King Charles established his authority as the British monarch and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Pope Leo XIV’s Election Sparks Global Outrage
King Charles’ seeming power play comes amid widespread protests against the appointment of an American as Pope. Wild conspiracy theories, rooted in the role Donald Trump may have played in the Conclave elections, have saturated public platforms. Many consider this “the wrong time to have an American pope” amid Trump’s “out-of-control” antics and brewing trade war. Meanwhile, others believe Robert Prevost’s appointment as Pope was the Church’s way of “taking a shot at Trump.” One Reddit user analyzed,
“Trump has usurped Christianity in this country for his own political purposes. It’s wild to see people treating him as some sort of Jesus figure despite him quite obviously not caring about religion at all. Having an American pope with ties to Latin America who is seen as liberal and critical of Trump would really go a long way to undermine his support.”
Another wrote,
“That’s what I think as well. Nothing in a conclave happens by accident. When the church chose a Polish pope during the Cold War, this wasn’t an accident either. It’s always a statement. That they chose an American, seemingly very anti-Trump pope, is quite insane and will definitely have big ramifications for organized religion in the US.”
A third Redditor added,
“Yes, this pick was as much about diplomacy as any holiness.”
Robert Prevost’s election made him the first American Pope in the church’s history. His predecessor, Pope Francis, who died last month at 88, was of Italian origin. While a meeting between Charles and Robert Prevost has yet to take place, the British monarch had an amiable relationship with the last pope. Shortly before his death, Pope Francis had a private meeting with King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, extending his best regards to the couple on the occasion of their 20th wedding anniversary.
The monarch also shared a heartfelt tribute to him following his demise, remiscing on their meetings over the years. While the King could not attend the Pope’s funeral, his son, Prince William, went on his behalf, joining reputable world leaders who gathered in the Vatican to pay their last respects to the Pope. These final exchanges between the pope and the monarchy continued a Papal tradition upheld by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who made a point of meeting several appointed popes in her lifetime.
