Harry Styles spotted in crowd during Pope Leo XIV’s first address in Rome

Harry Styles was among thousands of people who gathered in Rome on Thursday to watch the newly elected Pope Leo XIV make his first public address.

The 31-year-old singer was pictured wearing black sunglasses and a grey baseball cap that read “Techno is my boyfriend” in a packed St Peter’s Square.

Nisa Kanat, who photographed the triple Grammy award winner, said she “locked eyes” with the star while watching the Pope’s announcement.

In a social media post, Ms Kanat 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.”

Fans took to social media to share their delight at the former One Direction star’s attendance at the historic event.

One person wrote on X: “Harry Styles is so random. One day he’s at the Grammys, then he’s running a marathon in Japan… now he’s in Rome waiting for the new pope. I love being his fan.”

Another joked: “Can’t believe the new pope got a glimpse of Harry Styles on his first day of the new job.”

The newly elected American Pope appeared in front of jubilant crowds as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday evening.

Pope Leo XIV emerged on to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica as a packed St Peter’s Square erupted in cheers and applause.

He was Cardinal Robert Prevost, from Chicago, and is fairly young for a Pope, at the age of 69.

The new pontiff is the 267th Pope, becoming the religious leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe and someone believed to be called as the successor to St Peter, who was the first.

In his first words as Pope, the new pontiff told the adoring crowd: “Peace be with you.”

He will have the challenge of following in the footsteps of the late Francis, whose popularity saw him dubbed “the people’s pope”.

He had been vocal on politics, speaking out against war and climate change, and urged more focus on the poor and downtrodden of the world.

His death on Easter Monday prompted warm tributes from leaders across the globe and his funeral last month drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.