his four-day trip here. it's the first official state visit by a pope to britain in nearly 500 years. greeted by prince philip and scottish clergy, he made his way along the royal mile to be received by the queen. >> they can be transcended and a greater mutual trust established. >> reporter: the pope's meeting with the queen is a rare event, and this exchange of gifts a gesture britons catholics hope will mend a rift when king henry viii wanted a divorce in the 16th century. >> i shall denounce the pope as a heretic and marry whom i please. >> reporter: he wt on to marry five more wives and had an ongoing feud with the vatican that led to a permanent split. >> for hundreds of years, it has been illegal to be a catholic in this country, and he has been persona non grata since the 16th century.