King’s Vatican visit postponed due to Pope illness

The King and Queen have postponed their state visit to the Vatican, after doctors said the Pope needed to rest following a recent illness.

The visit to the Vatican was postponed by "mutual agreement", according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

The wider state visit to Italy will continue in April with some alterations to the planned programme.

"Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered," the palace said.

The royal trip had been billed as a "historic visit" during the year of the Papal Jubilee.

It would have marked the building of symbolic links between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which King Charles is the Supreme Governor.

Pope Francis, 88, was only recently discharged from hospital in Rome after being admitted with breathing difficulties in February.

The wider trip to Italy has been planned to support relationships between the UK and Italy, reflecting "values, history and culture" shared by the two countries.

The king is expected to meet Italy's president and prime minister and become the first UK monarch to address both houses of the Italian parliament.

The royals have also been invited to be guests at a state banquet.