From the London Times- (is that hat or a pheasant?)
It may be an unfortunate accident or a piece of mischievous theatre. Either way, the Prince of Wales will need all his regal sang-froid when he tears off the wrapping of his gift from the Pope next week.
When the Prince presents the Duchess of Cornwall to Benedict XVI as his wife for the first time, he will receive a gift that may strike an unwelcome chord: a “luxury facsimile” of the 1530 appeal by English peers to Pope Clement VII asking for the annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
It is intended as a gesture to help to heal five centuries of schism between Rome and the Church of England, of which the Prince will one day be the head. It is also a reminder of the causes of the rift and of the Vatican’s stern views on divorce.
The Prince met John Paul II at the Vatican in 1985, together with the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and represented the Queen at the funeral of the Pope four years ago. However, he has not had an audience at the Vatican since his divorce from Diana in 1996, her subsequent death and his remarriage to Camilla Parker-Bowles.
More here-
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6129130.ece
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