Prince Albert II and Charlene of Monaco
Pope receives royal couple in the Vatican
Prince Albert II of Monaco (left), Pope Francis and Charlène of Monaco during a visit to the Vatican.
© imago images/Independent Photo Agency Int.
Prince Albert II and Charlene of Monaco were received by Pope Francis for an audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Pope Francis (85) received Prince Albert II of Monaco (64) and his wife Charlene of Monaco (44) for a private audience on Wednesday at the Vatican. According to a report by the ORF The audience is said to have lasted around 25 minutes. The pope presented the princely couple with a bronze figure showing a child helping another. Albert and Charlène, on the other hand, would have presented Francis with a print of the palace chapel in Monaco.
Last visit early 2016
Traditionally, female guests of the Pope wear black to an audience. Although Charlene, like other Catholic royals and princesses, is permitted to wear white, during the visit the former South African swimmer opted for a black dress with a black veil. A chain with a large silver cross hung around her neck. Albert, meanwhile, wore a classic black suit with a white shirt and matching light-colored tie.
It is not the first visit of the royal couple to the Vatican, but the last was more than six years ago. Pope Francis received the couple, who had been married since the summer of 2011, for a private audience in January 2016. Albert and Charlène have two seven-year-old twins, Gabriella and Jacques, who were born in December 2014.