VATICAN CITY — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has paid a private call on Pope Francis at the Vatican, making him the fifth pontiff she has met.
She arrived Thursday afternoon wearing a lilac-colored spring coat and matching hat that are practically the same colors as the wisteria blooming over much of the Italian capital. The monarch, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, was ushered into a small room near the Vatican’s public audience hall for the 30-minute meeting.
Videos
Additional Photos
Previously, Elizabeth had met with four pontiffs, starting with Pius XII in 1951, a year before her accession to the throne.
Earlier in the day, Elizabeth lunched with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinal palace. Illness had forced her to cancel a 2013 trip to Rome when she was supposed to see Napolitano.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.