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King Charles Cancels Visit to Vatican as Pope Francis Told to Rest

Britain's King Charles III (C) waves to well-wishers during a walk about in the streets of Banbridge, on March 21, 2025, during a three day trip to Northern Ireland. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III (C) waves to well-wishers during a walk about in the streets of Banbridge, on March 21, 2025, during a three day trip to Northern Ireland. (AFP)
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King Charles Cancels Visit to Vatican as Pope Francis Told to Rest

Britain's King Charles III (C) waves to well-wishers during a walk about in the streets of Banbridge, on March 21, 2025, during a three day trip to Northern Ireland. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III (C) waves to well-wishers during a walk about in the streets of Banbridge, on March 21, 2025, during a three day trip to Northern Ireland. (AFP)

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla's state visit to the Vatican has been postponed because of medical advice that suggested Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

The British royals were due to travel out to the Vatican on April 7 and meet Pope Francis the following day, for what the palace had said would be a historic visit.

Days after the plans were first announced last month Francis, 88, was admitted to hospital with a severe respiratory infection and he was only finally discharged on Sunday, after the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.

A royal source said last week Charles and Camilla were hoping and praying that the pope's health would improve enough to allow the trip to go ahead, but it has now been called off by mutual agreement.

"Their majesties send the pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in the Holy See, once he has recovered," the palace statement said.

The royal couple's subsequent state visit to Italy is set to continue but the program might now be subject to changes.

Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14 for a bout of bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia, an especially serious condition for him, as he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

The head of the pope's medical team said he came close to death at one point during his hospitalization.

Charles, 76, also has his workload carefully managed as he recovers from cancer.

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China Reveals New Team of Astronauts for Space Station Launch

Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-20 space mission (L-R) Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui attend a press conference a day before the launch of the mission, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP)
Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-20 space mission (L-R) Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui attend a press conference a day before the launch of the mission, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP)
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China Reveals New Team of Astronauts for Space Station Launch

Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-20 space mission (L-R) Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui attend a press conference a day before the launch of the mission, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP)
Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-20 space mission (L-R) Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui attend a press conference a day before the launch of the mission, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP)

China announced Wednesday the members of a three-person crew that will be launched to its space station as part of its growing exploration of space.
The Shenzhou 20 mission's astronauts are Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director general of China Manned Space Agency. They will replace three astronauts currently on the Chinese space station. Like those before them, they will stay there for roughly six months, The Associated Press reported.
The three will launch for space Thursday evening in China, from Jiuquan, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China.
The three-person crew were sent in October last year and have been in space for 175 days, said Lin.
Chen Dong, who previously served on the Shenzhou 11 and Shenzhou 14 missions, is the group leader, while his two crewmates will be making their first trips to space. Chen Zhongrui was an air force pilot and Wang Jie, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
“I feel incomparable pride and accomplishment to go to space for my country again,” Chen Dong told reporters on Wednesday. “Each journey to space is unparalleled, I'm looking forward to gaining more experience and more breakthroughs through this flight."
Chen Dong led construction of the space station during the Shenzhou 14 mission.
While in space, the astronauts will carry out experiments in space medicine, and space technology; perform extravehicular trips; and make improvements to the space station.
China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station owing to US national security concerns over the control of the country's space program by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party.
China's space program has grown rapidly in recent years. The space agency has landed an explorer on Mars and a rover on the far side of the moon. It aims to put a person on the moon before 2030.
The returning astronauts are expected to land on April 29.