King Charles and Pope Leo exchanged heartfelt gifts during their historic meeting at the Vatican this morning that perfectly captured the spirit of unity behind this royal visit.
The monarch then presented the Pope with two deeply meaningful gifts, a silver-framed photograph of himself and Queen Camilla, and an Icon of St Edward the Confessor, the 11th century English king revered as both the patron saint of kings and of difficult marriages.
“It comes as a small token of my esteem and appreciation,” Charles added, his words underscoring the personal thought behind the offering.
HELLO!’s Royal Editor, Emily Nash, who is travelling with the royal couple, reports that the King began the encounter with gracious words to his host, “You are so kind to see us.”
In return, Pope Leo gifted the King a scale model of the magnificent mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, the awe-inspiring image that dominates the Norman Cathedral of Cefalù in Sicily.
Before the ceremony in the Sistine Chapel,*King Charles and Queen Camilla enjoyed a private audience with the Pope, after which they pursued separate engagements.
Later, the King and the Pope reconvened for a sustainability meeting, where they discussed their shared commitment to protecting the planet and exchanged saplings as a symbolic gesture, trees to be planted in support of the natural world.
