After breaking with tradition by not making a visit to the Vatican as her first foreign trip, missing the historic canonisation of two former popes and announcing that she would be meeting Pope Francis in June, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca has finally been given her slot by the Vatican.

She will be meeting His Holiness on 29 September, nearly six months after taking office.

Mrs Coleiro Preca announced the visit during a programme on RTK today. She had already announced, on PBS programme Dissett, a visit to the Vatican in late June, but this never materialised and the date has now been set for 29 September.

Mrs Coleiro Preca had been criticised for choosing to break with tradition by visiting Poland, and not the Vatican, in her first trip as Head of State. She then also chose to cancel her attendance at the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and Pope John II because of other commitments in Malta.