Picture of King and Queen’s meeting with Pope Francis released

The King and Queen have been pictured during a private meeting with Pope Francis, who is recovering from double pneumonia.

Charles and Camilla visited the recuperating pontiff at the Vatican during Wednesday afternoon the day the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

In the photograph, the Queen is shaking the hand of Pope Francis, who is seated, while the King stands next to her smiling.

There was an exchange of gifts between the couple and the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and Charles can be seen holding a small red box.

News of the meeting leaked out before it was due to be officially announced after the King’s limousine was spotted leaving the Vatican.

Buckingham Palace posted the picture on the royal family’s official X, formerly Twitter, account with the words “Che occasione speciale!” – what a special occasion.

It went on to say: “A special moment for Their Majesties as they privately met His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday.

The couple are dressed in black as a traditional mark of respect in the image released on the final day of Charles and Camilla’s four-day state visit to Rome which they will spend in the city of Ravenna.

The King and Queen were due to hold a separate state visit to the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican, but it was cancelled before their trip began to allow the Pope to recover from his illness.

He wore nasal tubes to receive supplemental oxygen, which the Vatican said at the time is being gradually reduced.

It is understood the visit was confirmed on Wednesday morning and the pontiff had issued the invitation to Charles and Camilla for the private audience.

The meeting lasted 20 minutes, likely taking place in Francis’s private apartment, and came after Charles reportedly said “I pray for the Pope”, during a reception on Tuesday for members of the British community at Villa Volkonsky, the residence of the Britain’s ambassador to Italy.

It is understood discussions are continuing about rescheduling the King’s visit to the Holy See which was due to celebrate the Papal Jubilee, held every 25 years.

The King and Queen ended their state visit to Italy with a tour of Ravenna, where the Queen enjoyed a glass of wine and tried her hand at making pasta.

Charles and Camilla also met elderly partisans who helped in the fight against Nazi fascism when they joined town hall celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the region during the Second World War.

During their day in Ravenna, Camilla visited a museum dedicated to Lord Byron and said she was “pleased and humbled” to be there.

The King enjoyed a moment of contemplation in the Basilica di San Vitale, describing it as “so moving” as he looked up at its impressive domed ceiling.