Posted on 04/03/2014 1:34:26 PM PDT by NYer
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With a row of Swiss Guards and cameras flickering away, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived to the Vatican.
CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN
Secretary of State
"Your majesty welcome”
The Queen was about 20 minutes late, but as a true English woman, she was quite conscious of time.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. We were having lunch with the president.”
The meeting lasted about 20 minutes. It marks the first gathering between Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth. First, she introduced her staff...
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
"This is my private secretary. From Australia.”
And then gifts were exchanged. The Queen and Duke gave the Pope a basket full of fine wine, juice, jams and honey. All of which, came from their royal estates within their kingdom.
The Pope gave her Majesty a decree issued by Pope Innocent XI. It dates back to 1679, declaring Edward the Confessor, who was an English King, as a Saint of the Catholic Church.
"It's an actual replica of the original.”
The Pope also had a gift ready for her 8-month old great grandson. It's a blue crystal sphere, with a silver cross of Edward the Confessor. At the base, it reads: To His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.
POPE FRANCIS
"We have the same name”
Prince Phillip received three papal medals, gold, silver and bronze.
PRICE PHILIP
"It's the only gold medal I've ever won.”
Once their meeting came to a close, as usual, the Pope asked the Queen for one special request.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
"It's been a great pleasure”
Ping!
Dream on Hillary!
“She’s a good sheila, Holiness, and not at all stuck up.”
Nice! I think the Queen is actually quite conservative in religion. Of course, while she’s technically the head of the Church of England, she has no real power - similar to her role in the country in general.
I’ve always wondered if she might eventually become a Catholic. It would obviously be very quiet and might not be until her deathbed, since Catholics are forbidden to occupy the English throne, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it happened.
I believe her sense of duty would trump a deathbed (or other) conversion away from the CoE.
Charles, OTOH, would not surprise if he became a Scientologist.
All of the Pope’s gifts to the Queen, and her family, were very thoughtful. She gave him some wine and jellies from one of her many royal estates (across the UK).
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