King and Queen headed home to England after Italian state visit
Queen Camilla turned her hand to fresh pasta making and ate her way around a local market as together with King Charles she celebrated their final day of the state visit to Italy. See the photos.
With the planting of a tree, visit to the tomb of one of the world’s most famous writers and an afternoon filled with food and art, King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up their tour of Italy.
The King began his fourth and final day in Italy by planting an oak tree n the garden of Villa Wolkonsky in Rome before travelling to Ravenna, where they first visited Dante Alighieri’s tomb and then enjoyed meeting the locals.
His Majesty visited the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and was invited to insert the final tile of a mosaic depicting his coronation.
Meanwhile, The Queen toured the Byron Museum and attended an event for her charity The Queen’s Reading Room.
After a reception in the Town Hall to mark the 80th anniversary of Ravenna’s liberation from Nazis they visited a traditional Emilia-Romagna market in the Piazza del Popolo.
The Queen seemed particularly taken by the food market, sampling a number of dishes and even joining in to make some fresh pasta.
Meanwhile, the King made a little boy’s day by signing his jersey.
Due to the timing of the trip, Their Majesties just missed Prince Harry who had been in London for his court case about whether or not he should be entitled to British taxpayer-funded security while in the UK.
POPE’S SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR THE KING AND QUEEN
Pope Francis and King Charles have exchanged well wishes for their health in a private meeting at the Vatican, as part of the royal couple’s 20th wedding anniversary trip to Italy.
The private meeting at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta took place as part of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s third visit to the country, ahead of a state banquet in Rome on Wednesday.
Previous plans to meet the pontiff had been postponed because of the Pope’s ill health.
The King and Queen said they were “deeply touched by the Pope’s kind words” and “delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person,” a statement released by Buckingham Palace said.
The Pope wished the couple a happy 20th wedding anniversary.
Pope Francis has showed signs of improvement and he “reciprocated” King Charles’ “best wishes for a speedy recovery of his health”, according to the Vatican.
There was also an exchange of gifts between them.
A photo of the meeting was released by Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
QUEEN CAMILLA’S ROMANTIC GESTURE TO MARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Royal fans were delighted to see Queen Camilla wearing her wedding ensemble to celebrate her 20th anniversary with King Charles III.
The Anna Valentine design has been remodelled by the designer two decades after her Majesty became betrothed to mark the milestone on the third day of the couple’s state visit to Italy.
The King’s Foundation artisan Beth Somerville added beautiful embroidery detailing for the occasion.
Queen Camilla also wore her engagement ring and accessorised the white gown with a pearl necklace, gold bracelets and a cream handbag to witness her husband become the first British monarch to address the Italian parliament.
It is not the first time the Queen has recycled her wedding outfit after she broke with tradition two years after her and Charles’ civil ceremony at Guildhall in 2007.
In his historic address to the Italian parliament in Rome, King Charles warned that peace can never be taken for granted and hailed Italy for standing by Ukraine.
Charles cited the tens of thousands of Commonwealth soldiers who died during the liberation of Italy from the Nazis, noting that Italian civilians had risked their lives to help them.
“Today, sadly, the echoes of those times – which we fervently hoped had been consigned to history – reverberate across our continent,” he added.
“Our younger generations can now see in the news every day on their smartphones and tablets that peace is never to be taken for granted.
“Britain and Italy stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share.
“Our countries have both stood by Ukraine in her hour of need and welcomed many thousands of Ukrainians requiring shelter.”
He noted the defence ties between Italy and the UK, through NATO and a project to develop a new fighter jet with Japan.
Speaking in English with some Italian, Charles became the first ever British monarch to address a joint session of Italy’s parliament.
KING CHARLES AND QUEEN CAMILLA TAKE THE COLOSSEUM
King Charles III and Queen Camilla posed in front of the Colosseum in Rome Tuesday and greeted thousands of well wishers on the first full day of a state visit to Italy.
The four-day trip comes less than a fortnight after Charles, 76, was briefly admitted to hospital after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment.
The royals, who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday with a state banquet in Rome, were met by applauding crowds at the ancient gladiator battleground.
They shook hands and chatted with flag-waving schoolchildren and snap-happy tourists gathered along the route between the Arch of Constantine and the Temple of Venus and Rome.
Romolo Testa, a 19-year-old Italian who managed to shake their hands, said it was “emotional”.
“It was really a great honour, I was moved,” he said.
Military bands from Sardinia’s Sassari Brigade and the Welsh Guards – wearing their distinctive bearskin hats – entertained the crowds at the Colosseum before the royals arrived with tunes like Abba’s “Dancing Queen”.
Charles and Camilla then had their picture taken in front of the Colosseum – which the ancient Romans used for gladiatorial fights, mock sea battles and plays based on Roman mythology – although they did not go in.
Co-ordinated in a blue pinstriped suit for him and a blue silk crepe dress and coat for her, with a diamond-and-sapphire brooch that was once Queen Victoria’s, the king and queen were given a quick history lesson by a renowned Italian TV presenter and historian, Alberto Angela.
Angela told journalists afterwards that Charles had “wanted to know all the details about the past”.
“This place is a place of history. You had Roman emperors … and now you have the king and queen coming here. That makes sense,” he said.
At the 16th-century Quirinal Palace, they met Italy’s ceremonial president, Sergio Mattarella, and were treated to a joint fly-past by Italy’s “Frecce Tricolori” air force aerobatic team and Britain’s “Red Arrows”.
CHARLES AND CAMILLA MISS HARRY IN THE UK
Charles and Camilla arrived in Italy on Monday hours after Prince Harry touched down in the UK.
The couple arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport about 5.15pm local time (1.15am AEST) via a British government aircraft where they were welcomed by a guard of honour with Italian and British representatives.
The king’s youngest son is in the UK for yet another court case aimed at reinstating taxpayer-funded armed security for his family.
Prince Harry has not seen his dad in person since Buckingham Palace announced the king had cancer last February.
It was unclear if Harry will attend the Court of Appeal for the two-day hearing.
The four-year case has cost taxpayers A$1.3m to defend.
Harry lost 24-hour protection after quitting official royal duties in 2020 and moving with wife Meghan Markle to the US in 2020.
The Italian state visit is the royal couple’s first trip to the country since 2023.
Just hours after their arrival, Buckingham Palace released three new photos of the couple relaxing at their villa ahead of their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday.
The royal family captioned the post on social media: “As we begin our first visit to Italy as King and Queen, we are so looking forward to celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary in such a special place – and with such wonderful people!
“A presto, Roma e Ravenna! – Charles R & Camilla R.”
The state visit comes just 10 days after the King’s most recent health scare where he spent a short stay in hospital after experiencing side effects from ongoing cancer treatment.
The 76-year-old king will become the first British monarch who will address both houses of the Italian parliament before he joins the queen on a tour to Italy’s capital Rome and Ravenna.
“This visit will deliver a meaningful and broad legacy, above all their majesties will do something intangible but priceless,” Edward Llewellyn, the UK’s ambassador to Italy and San Marino, said.
“Their visit will strengthen the closeness between our nations in a way that only they can, creating memories that will last a generation.
“Their love for Italy and all things Italian, the things Italians cherish – culture, food, heritage – resonate very, very deeply.
“So a lot to look forward to in the next few days. The state visit that brings together, quite simply, the best of Italy and the best of Britain, the closest of friends, allies and partners.”
The King has visited Italy 17 times while the Queen has travelled to Italy twice and this week’s visit will be the first the pair have done so together.
The King and Queen wed in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005 and they will spend their 20th wedding anniversary by attending a state banquet in Rome hosted by the country’s president Sergio Mattarella.
This week, The King and Queen will visit Rome and Ravenna on a State Visit to Italy.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 7, 2025
âž¡ï¸ Swipe through to read more about Their Majesties’ previous visits to Italy.
Due to Pope Francis’s ill health a visit to the Vatican has been removed from the royals’ schedule while the 88-year-old continues to recover from recent illness.
At a garden party at the British ambassador’s residence on Tuesday evening, Charles said he was praying for the pontiff, the ANSA news agency reported.
A wheelchair-bound pontiff – seen wearing a breathing tube – made an appearance in public on the weekend and waved to onlookers at the Vatican.
He was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after spending six weeks battling a series of issues including double pneumonia and bronchitis.
– with AFP
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Originally published as King and Queen headed home to England after Italian state visit