Princess Anne, King Charles hold key meeting at Palace after sad announcement

King Charles III and his only sister Princess Anne appeared together at St James's Palace for a special royal engagement hours after a heartbreaking announcement from the monarch's office.

The royals joined forces to honour exceptional individuals working in the criminal justice system on Tuesday, meeting winners of the 40th Annual Butler Trust Awards at a special reception.

The royal engagement took place moments after Buckingham Palace confirmed that "King Charles and Queen Camilla's international visit to the Vatican has been postponed" over Pope Francis' heath crisis.

The royal family shared the photos of the King and Princess Royal from the event, which marked a significant engagement for the the Queen Elizabeth's daughter, who serve as Patron of The Butler Trust.

The statement read: "The 40th Annual Butler Trust Awards hosted today by The Princess Royal at St James’s Palace had a surprise guest - The King!"

It continued: "The Princess Royal has been Patron of The Butler Trust since its creation in 1985 and champions their work in promoting excellence in UK prisons, probation and youth justice."

The Palace concluded: "Congratulations to everyone who received their award today!"

Prior to the reception, Princess Anne presented 10 Awards and 20 Commendations to this year's winners at the Trust's Annual Award Ceremony.

Earlier, Sir Stephen Fry was made a Knight Bachelor by The King at Windsor Castle. The honour was presented in recognition of his services to mental health awareness, the environment, and charity.