Queen Elizabeth arrives in Italy, meets Pope Francis

Britain''''s Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Rome on a short visit in which she will meet Pope Francis for the first time. On arriving at Ciampino airport, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were received by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and his wife. She was then driven to the Quirinale palace, a former papal residence, for lunch with President Giorgio Napolitano. She was welcomed by an honour guard of Sardinian grenadiers, Carabinieri cavalry, navy and air force. The Queen, who heads the Church of England, will meet Pope Francis later today for the first time who was installed just over a year ago. It is the Queen''''s first visit to Rome in 14 years. It will be the sixth time the Queen has greeted the head of the Roman Catholic Church during her reign and the seventh time overall.