Pakistan, Oct. 22 -- King Charles III is set to make history as the first head of the Church of England in five centuries to pray publicly with a pope. The British monarch will visit the Vatican on Wednesday to meet Pope Leo XIV, marking a landmark moment since the historic separation between the Anglican and Catholic Churches under King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

The visit comes amid personal and political turbulence for the king, following renewed controversy surrounding his brother, Prince Andrew, and his connection to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will meet the pope for the first time since his election in May and will attend a joint ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel on Thursda...