King Charles III and Queen Camilla met privately with Pope Francis on Wednesday in the Vatican, Buckingham Palace said, just weeks after Francis spent more than five weeks in the hospital.
“Their Majesties were delighted the pope was well enough to host them — and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
During the meeting, the Pope “expressed his good wishes to Their Majesties on the occasion of their anniversary and sent back to His Majesty a speedy recovery of his health,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The royal couple recently marked the 20th anniversary of their wedding.
The meeting comes as the 88-year-old pontiff is recovering after a lengthy hospital stay with pneumonia, where he was at times in critical condition and required high-flow oxygen therapy. He was released from the hospital late last month.
Charles and Camilla are in Rome as a part of a state visit. On Tuesday, they met the Italian president and toured the city, the Associated Press reported.
On Wednesday, the monarch was scheduled to meet Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and address a joint session of the Italian Parliament, marking the first time a British monarch has done so.
