The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Vatican today, according to a statement released by the Vatican press office. The two met privately with the Holy Father for 15 minutes, and then met later with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pontiff’s secretary of state.
“The cordial discussions provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on certain questions of mutual interest,” added the communiqué, “including the human promotion and development of peoples, environmental protection, and the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue for furthering peace and justice in the world.”
This was the first time the heir to the British throne has met with Benedict XVI.
Prince Charles, accompanied by his first wife, Princess Diana, had visited Pope John Paul II in 1985.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana subsequently divorced, and the princess died in 1997. Prince Charles postponed his wedding to Camilla to attend John Paul II’s funeral in 2005.
Regarding the Polish Pope, Prince Charles commented to Benedict XVI, “He was such a wonderful man, we miss him terribly.”
