Not so long ago, the Eternal City met American President Barack Obama, and today Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on the streets of the Italian capital. Despite the fact that the land of wine and sun has long been forgotten, which means the rule of the royal family, an honored guest in Rome was greeted with bread and salt. Some residents of the capital, who gathered on the streets of the city to see firsthand the ruling queen of Great Britain, even stated that she was much more popular in Italy than the country's president Giorgio Napolitano.
The 87-year-old queen appeared on the streets of Rome this morning after she shared breakfast with the Italian president. The venerable guest was sent to meet at the Vatican with the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. As soon as Elizabeth appeared from behind the doors of the presidential palace, a crowd of fans awaiting her burst into applause, joyfully greeting the Queen of Great Britain.
“She is number one! The Queen is that important figure that is lacking in Italy, ”said one passerby. Amedeo Padrenostro, who also came to take a personal look at Elizabeth II, said that she really needs to be admired. “Napolitano does nothing, he's just a clown. And the queen spends much less money than he, ”the man explained.
By the way, comments of this kind now and then came from the lips of Italians. In a nearby coffee shop, one townswoman also praised the queen. “She is very charming. Of course, I don’t know her personally, but she is clearly a good person, ”suggested Alessandra Iancini. “There was a royal family in Italy too ... But now this is impossible.” The Italian ruling family was expelled from the country as early as the 1940s, after it became known that its representatives strongly supported the dictator Mussolini. Blue blood was allowed to return only in 2002.
While the hospitable Romans were loudly praising their guest, Elizabeth II herself went to meet with Pope Francis in the Vatican, where they exchanged unusual gifts. So, the Pope gave not so long ago to the born heir to the throne, Prince George, a globe of precious stones with a cross.
“This is for the baby,” Francis explained, to which he immediately received the queen’s response: “Very beautiful, he will definitely appreciate it when he grows up a bit.”
Elizabeth, in turn, also did not remain in debt and gave the pontiff a whole basket of environmentally friendly products grown in her homeland. It is worth noting that Francis got honey, apple juice, bread, cookies, eggs and a bottle of whiskey. “All this was compiled especially for you from different parts of the country,” said the queen, while Francis seemed a little embarrassed, holding whiskey in his hands. The head of the Catholic Church especially appreciated honey, and Elizabeth said that he had collected the product in her own garden.
The reigning queen also presented the pontiff with photographs of her and her husband Philip during their first visit to the Vatican. Giving photos is quite a common tradition for the British, so the guest even apologized for this custom: “I'm afraid we will have to exchange photos,” she said. Francis gave Elizabeth a copy of the decree of 1679, which symbolizes the special relationship between the Catholic and Anglican churches. Prince Philip, who accompanied his wife in Rome, received three medals from Pope Francis (bronze, silver and gold) depicting the pontiff himself. The Queen’s husband was pleased with the gifts: “This is the only gold medal I deserve!” - the Prince joked.
