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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Queen to meet Pope Francis in Rome | Queen to meet Pope Francis in Rome |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are to visit Rome later this year for an audience with Pope Francis, Buckingham Palace has said. | The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are to visit Rome later this year for an audience with Pope Francis, Buckingham Palace has said. |
| The royal couple will also have a private lunch with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano. | The royal couple will also have a private lunch with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano. |
| The one-day trip in April was originally planned for last year but was postponed when the Queen fell ill. | The one-day trip in April was originally planned for last year but was postponed when the Queen fell ill. |
| The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the Queen's "relaxed" meeting with the Pope will be at his residence. | The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the Queen's "relaxed" meeting with the Pope will be at his residence. |
| He added that the Queen would not wear black or a veil, as she has done on three previous visits to the Vatican in deference to convention. | |
| In 1980, the Queen dressed entirely in black, with a tiara holding a cascade veil in place, to meet Pope John Paul II in Rome, just as she had done on her visit to Pope John XXIII in 1961. | |
| And in 2000, the Queen wore black again and a hat with a veil. | |
| This was despite royal tradition that female members of the Royal Family do not wear black. | |
| In a short statement, the palace said: "The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will visit Rome on Thursday 3 April. | In a short statement, the palace said: "The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will visit Rome on Thursday 3 April. |
| "Her Majesty and His Royal Highness are visiting at the invitation of the president of Italy, President Napolitano. | "Her Majesty and His Royal Highness are visiting at the invitation of the president of Italy, President Napolitano. |
| "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the presidential palace where they will attend a private lunch hosted by the president. | "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the presidential palace where they will attend a private lunch hosted by the president. |
| "Following the private lunch Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will have an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican." | "Following the private lunch Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will have an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican." |
| The 87-year-old Queen, who is head of the Church of the England, has been scaling back long-haul trips recently and is gradually handing over some of her responsibilities to her son and the future king, Prince Charles. | |
| On Monday, the palace announced the Queen and Prince Philip were to make a three-day state visit to France in June. | |
| They are expected to attend events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy and meet their host, President Francois Hollande, in Paris. |