The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have enjoyed a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.
The royal couple were greeted by an honour guard of the Swiss Guards and a Vatican nobleman before meeting the Pope for the first time.
Charles and Camilla, who was wearing a black dress, emerged from a convoy of cars inside a courtyard in the Catholic city.
The visit to the Vatican takes on added significance following the recent announcement by Prime Minister Gordon Brown that he has been in talks with Buckingham Palace about reversing a ban on heirs to the throne marrying Catholics.
The visit was the highlight of a two-day tour of Italy, where Charles is campaigning for his environmental reforms, before they travel to Germany for a further two days.
Writing for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica ahead the Vatican visit the Prince compared his attempts to save the environment with the "cultural reawakening" of the Italian Renaissance.
Charles said the world must act now to avoid leaving a "terrible, poisoned legacy to our children".
The couple will spend two days in Italy during their official trip then travel to Germany for a further two days.
© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
