Prince and the Pope - Charles and Camilla have first audience with Benedict

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall met Pope Benedict.

Charles had a private audience with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican for the first time since 1985, when he visited with Princess Diana.

Under Vatican protocol, the Prince met the Pope alone before they were joined by the Duchess and finally members of the royal household. As required, Camilla wore a black dress with matching veil. The visit took on added significance following the recent announcement by Gordon Brown that he had been in talks with Buckingham Palace about reversing a ban on heirs to the throne marrying Catholics.

Mr Brown is expected to raise the issue of ending centuries of discrimination against Catholics at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in November. Today's visit was the highlight of a two-day tour of Italy, where Charles is campaigning for environmental reforms, before travelling to Germany for a further two days.

The royal couple were both divorcees before they married in a civil ceremony in 2005 but this was not thought to have been an issue for the Vatican.

They were greeted by Swiss Guards and a Vatican nobleman after emerging from a convoy of cars inside a courtyard in the Catholic city.