King Charles and Queen Camilla Meet With Pope Francis on Their 20-Year Anniversary

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary was made even more special when the royals met with Pope Francis on Wednesday during their state visit to Italy.

Buckingham Palace and the Vatican confirmed that the meeting, which was not included on the official itinerary, took place Wednesday afternoon. According to the palace, Charles and Camilla were “delighted” the pontiff was “well enough to host them–and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person.”

A statement from the Vatican said Pope Francis shared his “best wishes” with the couple as they celebrate two decades of marriage. He also “reciprocated his wishes to His Majesty for a speedy recovery of his health,” it added.

The 88-year-old pope was last seen before cheering crowds at the Vatican over the weekend after being discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, following a double bout of pneumonia.

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day visit to Italy had originally included a visit to the Vatican but their schedule was changed after Pope Francis was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Wednesday’s meeting at the Vatican took place on the penultimate day of the royal tour, which coincided with King Charles and Queen Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary. The couple celebrated the milestone with the release of a new photograph and video on their social media channels.

Sources at Buckingham Palace said the meeting was at the request of the Pope, lasted just 20 minutes, and took place after Charles addressed the Italian Parliament. The royals retired briefly at Villa Wolkonsky, the official residence of the British ambassador to Italy in Rome, to change outfits before being driven to the Vatican.

While the Palace and the Vatican would not comment on what was discussed during the meeting, it is understood that the pope took the opportunity to wish Their Majesties a happy anniversary. It is also understood that discussions about Charles and Camilla making their official state visit to the Holy See are ongoing.

So far, the tour has been a great success. King Charles had a private audience with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, while the royal couple has visited a number of popular sites, including the Colosseum. Earlier Wednesday, Queen Camilla paid a touching tribute to her husband by rewearing her wedding day outfit, which was redesigned for her by Anna Valentine, for the couple’s engagement at the Italian Parliament.

During his historic address to the Italian Parliament, which he delivered in English and Italian, Charles spoke of his affection for Italy. “I am here today with one purpose: to reaffirm the deep friendship between the United Kingdom and Italy, and to pledge to do all in my power to strengthen that friendship even further in the time that is granted to me as king,” he said.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend a state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome on Wednesday evening. The tour concludes tomorrow.