Some people will dine for their birthdays; Others meet the Pope. King Charles III and Queen Camilla chose this last Wednesday for their own brand two decades during a state visit to Italy. Reuters reports that the royal couple was originally supposed to have made an official state visit to the Vatican for an audience with the pontiff, but they bowed after the doctors recommended that Francis took a few months to rest and recover after being released from the hospital in March. Instead, in a surprise development, the British monarchs met the Pope in private on Wednesday, accepting his best wishes for their 20th anniversary, according to a Vatican declaration.
The AP note that the 20-minute visit to the middle of the afternoon was the first true of Francis since he left the Gemelli hospital last month after a serious fight with pneumonia; The visit would have been subject to what he felt and was only confirmed in the morning. In a photo published by the Vatican of the Trio, the Queen is seen shaking the Pope’s hand while King Charles hangs on a small red gift box next to her. The pope is seen without the nasal tubes he needs, the Vatican noting that he does not need additional oxygen lately when he wins his strength.
“Che is special!” The couple proclaimed on their X account, including the newly published image. “The King and the Queen were deeply affected by the Pope’s kind remarks on their 20th wedding anniversary and honored to be able to share their best wishes in person.” The Vatican says that Francis “reciprocal” Charles and the “best wishes of Camilla for a rapid recovery of his health”, according to the BBC. Reciprocity seems to be in reference to the best wishes offered by the pope to Charles during the king’s own fight against cancer. (More stories King Charles III.)
