King And Queen Meet Pope Francis At Vatican On Their Anniversary

King Charles and Queen Camilla have had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican where he wished them a happy 20th wedding anniversary.

In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen said they were “delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person”.

The meeting took place on the third day of their state visit to Italy and ahead of a state banquet in Rome on Wednesday evening.

It is understood the meeting was only confirmed on Wednesday morning. It came after previous plans for the couple to meet the pontiff in a state visit to the Vatican were postponed because of the Pope’s ill health.

The meeting took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, where Pope Francis has been convalescing since being released from Gemelli Hospital.

A photograph of the meeting, which lasted 20 minutes, was released by the Vatican on Thursday morning.

The Royal Family X account posted it along with the caption “Che occasione speciale”, which translates as “what a special occasion”.

“The King and Queen were deeply touched by the Pope’s kind remarks about their 20th wedding anniversary and honoured to be able to share their best wishes to him in person,” the statement added.

According to the Vatican, the Pope is showing signs of gradual improvement and he “reciprocated” the King’s “best wishes for a speedy recovery of his health”.

This was a reference to the Pope offering his own best wishes, after the King recently suffered side effects from his cancer treatment.

BBC