Donald Trump departed Rome shortly after the Pope’s funeral to treat the first lady Melania to a romantic dinner on Air Force One for her 55th birthday.

The US president said he had been too busy to buy his wife a present and would instead treat her to a meal onboard the presidential plane when they return from Rome on Saturday.

The two were pictured together in St Peter’s Square attending the funeral with world leaders. Mr Trump was wearing a blue suit and his wife all black with a lace veil.

Mr Trump left his wife as he attended to high-stakes Ukraine diplomacy, meeting with European allies and Volodymyr Zelensky in an extraordinary day of peace talks.

He was seen boarding his plane one hour after the Pope was buried. European leaders, meanwhile, were engaged in further peace talks in Rome.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mr Trump admitted that a trip to Rome for a major funeral may not be everyone’s idea of the perfect way to celebrate a birthday.