Queen Elizabeth II traveled to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis—who, amazingly, is the seventh pope that she has met in her lifetime.
The meeting between the two heads of state was described as “official but informal.” The queen had indicated that she would prefer not to meet in such a formal setting as the palace by St. Peter’s Square, and instead was received in a building more suited to a casual meeting.
In keeping with this informality, the queen wore a lilac outfit; previously, she has worn a black veil for her Vatican visits.
The queen and pope had a 20-minute conversation together, and exchanged gifts. An orb made from lapis lazuli was “for the little boy,” said the pope.
“He will be thrilled with that,” said Prince George‘s great-grandmother. But perhaps she felt eight-month-old George wouldn’t quite appreciate the gift yet, and so added, “when he’s a little older.”
Not every baby receives such a precious gift, and from a pope no less. The orb was even made especially for George, and is inscribed, “From Pope Francis to Prince George of Cambridge.”
In return, the queen and her husband Prince Philip presented the pope with a hamper of foods sourced from the royals’ various estates in the United Kingdom. These included honey and eggs from Windsor, soap from Sandringham, and whiskey from Balmoral. But it seems that Pope Francis will not enjoy these things for himself, as he means to pass them on to a poorhouse.
The Vatican visit is the queen’s first engagement abroad since 2011, when she toured Australia.