(Vatican Radio) The first time Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II crossed the threshold
of the Vatican it was 1951, she was still a Princess and the Pope to receive her in
audience was Pius XII. Former Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor
was studying for the priesthood at the Venerable English College at the time and shares
his memories of this special moment with Philippa Hitchen :"..When I met her afterwards
she said she was quite terrified, Buckingham Palace is all very well but it doesn't
compare with the Vatican..."
The second time she was received in audience
by a Roman Pontiff it was 1961, this time the Pope was John XXIII who's soon to
be canonised by Pope Francis. Rosminian Father John Charles-Roux once shared with
Veronica Scarisbrick his memories of that event which took place in the context of
the renaissance splendour of the papal court of the time. A splendour which according
to him Pope John seemed to enjoy as he says : "...he used the room of the Tronetto
' which Pius XII never used...when he received the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
there was a display of the court that amazed all the English people. The Queen and
the Duke came back absolutely thrilled by the display of that Renaissance Court in
its full splendour..."
In this programme Veronica Scarisbrick also brings
you an article written by the late John Grigg, then still Lord Altrincham who on
the contrary describes an audience with John XXIII as more homely than regal: "Pope
John XXIII makes even an audience in Saint Peter's seem like an intimate family occasion,
a party thrown by a benign old man for the innumerable children who look for security,
comfort and guidance. Pope John has the demeanor of a good country priest with bubbling
zest and bonhomie with no airs or graces. Borne in the 'sedia' with thousands of
applauding votaries he responds to their enthusiasm in kind. They love him , he obviously
loves them.....He does not suggest by his manner that he is any nearer ot the heavenly
mysteries than they are.He settles back comfortably in his chair and talks ot the
vast crowd around him for all the world as if he were talking to one old friend by
his fire side. this spontaneity warms the heart as studied and exhalted rhetoric never
can..."
A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick.