After attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London, Queen Sālote went on a two-week tour of Scotland, the Isle of Man and Ireland. She and her daughter-in-law, Mataʻaho, then travelled to Paris and Rome, where they had an audience with Pope Pius XII on 20 July 1953.
Queen Sālote wrote about the meeting in great detail. She wrote, “He stood up as I walked towards the desk; it took me one step only. He stretched out his hand and shook mine, and greeted me happily, then showed me to a chair opposite his. When I was seated, he sat down and said that he was glad I had come to see him for he knew I had attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I thanked him for letting me visit him, for I did not wish to come to Rome and not see him, as I wished to convey to him the respect and love of thousands of my people who were in the Catholic Church. He looked kindly and peaceful as we talked. I was given 15 minutes to talk to him.
“When I saw the little gold clock on his table indicate that the 15 minutes had gone, I did not feel at ease about getting up to say goodbye, for it was he who controlled the visit. He continued talking about the ways of the world, and then told me he had appointed a Bishop for Tonga. That was the first I knew of the appointment of Sipita [John Rodgers]. After 20 minutes of conversation, he stood up and raised his hand and made the sign of the cross over my head, then he rang a little golden bell and I stood up.”1
The little bell signalled for the rest of the party, including Mataʻaho, to enter. Sālote received a gold medal from the Pope in memory of the visit, while Mataʻaho received a bronze medal.2
She wrote, “My heart felt a warmth when I conversed with the Pope and heard his advice and blessings. They were a treasure to me. He was an aristocrat whose compassion and wisdom showed upon his face. […] As I stepped outside, my heart was full of gladness and gratitude because of this great honour and the great humility shown to me by this aristocrat.”3
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