King Charles has broken with a royal tradition that dates back about 500 years. Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that Pope Leo XIV accepted the title of Papal Confrater of the College of St George at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. The chapel is one of the royal family’s most important churches.

A confrater is an honorary member of a religious community. In this case, the title was given as a sign of friendship, not official duties, given the pope is the head of the Catholic Church and the chapel is Anglican and under the Church of England. “It also reflects the deep mutual esteem between His Holiness and His Majesty and their shared desire for Christian unity,” the palace said in a statement. Two special chairs were made to mark the occasion; the pope’s chair will be unveiled at Windsor at a later date.