King Charles pays heartfelt tribute to Pope Benedict XVI

King Charles III UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and French leader Emmanuel Macron have paid tribute to former pope Benedict XVI following his death at the age of 95.

In a message to Pope Francis following the death of his predecessor, Britain's new monarch said he received the news "with deep sadness".

King Charles spoke of meeting Benedict at the Vatican in 2009 and the following year when he became the second pope in history to visit the UK.

During the trip, Benedict met Queen Elizabeth II in Edinburgh and made a speech at Westminster Hall.

Pope Francis, who succeeded Benedict in 2013, described him as "kind" and "noble", adding that he felt "gratitude to God for having gifted him to the Church and the world".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described Benedict as a "great theologian" whose UK visit was "an historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics throughout our country".