Harry Styles spotted in crowd outside Vatican as new Pope Leo announced

One of the world’s biggest pop stars was on hand to hear first-hand newly anointed Pope LeoXIV’s comments from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica soon after being elected Pontiff.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted Harry Styles taking in the historic occasion in Rome along with hundreds of thousands of faithful, as crowds cheered the news.

Apparently trying to keep a low profile, the unshaven singer donned a cap, dark sunglasses and a blue jacket with a popped collar.

His cap read “Techno is my boyfriend”.

The Watermelon Sugar singer was snapped by a number of fans.

One who posted a picture of the star on X wrote, “While watching the Pope’s announcement in St. Peter’s Square, Harry Styles passed by me, we locked eyes, and I immediately snapped a photo of this moment, what a day OMG.”

Some fans have highlighted Styles knack for popping up in unexpected places.

“harry styles is so random, one day he’s at the grammys winning album of the year, then he’s running a marathon in japan, but he could also be in rome waiting for the announcement of the new pope, i love being his fan,” one wrote on X.

Another posted, “Can’t believe the new pope got a glimpse of Harry styles on his first day of the new job”.

What motivated Styles to be outside the St Peter’s Basilica at such a momentous time is unknown.

Styles has previously been quoted as saying he is more “spiritual than religious”, although he says it is naive to believe that “nothing exists”.

In a post on X in 2010, Styles said he had been Christened but did not consider himself religious.

Some of his tattoos however, have religious overtones, including a tattoo of a Bible on his forearm, crosses above his maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather, and his sister’s name written in Hebrew.