 Charles with Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni on 9 April. | |
| Date | 7 to 10 April 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Rome Ravenna Vatican City |
| Type | State visit |
| Participants | King Charles III Queen Camilla Giorgia Meloni Sergio Mattarella |
King Charles III of theUnited Kingdom and his wifeQueen Camilla made a state visit toItaly from 7 to 10 April 2025, coinciding with their 20th wedding anniversary on 9 April 2025.
The four-day state visit wasat the request of the British government and was part of the UK's post-Brexit "reset" in reinforcing links with European allies.[1][2]
The details of the visit were announced on 18 March 2025, alongside a planned state visit to theHoly See.[3] The latter plans were cancelled the following week asPope Francis was advised to rest.[4] Francis ultimatelydied the following month.[5]
The King and Queen arrived inRome on 7 April.[6] They were welcomed by a military band and aguard of honour.[7]
New photographs of the couple, taken in the Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador's residence in Rome byChris Jackson, were released to mark their 20th wedding anniversary on 9 April.[2]
On the second day of their visit, the King and Queen were received atQuirinal Palace by PresidentSergio Mattarella and his daughter,Laura Mattarella. They also were celebrated with a joint flyover of theItalian Air Force'sFrecce Tricolori and the RAF'sRed Arrows. The couple then laid a wreath on theTomb of the Unknown Soldier and received a special tour of theColosseum.[8] In the evening, the King and Queen attended a reception to meet members of the British-Italian community at Villa Wolkonsky.[7]
The third day of the state visit coincided withthe King and Queen's 20th wedding anniversary, with the Queen wearing her repurposed wedding dress. The King began the day with a private meeting with Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni and viewed a performance ofShakespeare'sOthello. The Queen, meanwhile, visited a school in Rome. The King also addressed a joint session of theItalian Parliament, the first British monarch to do so.[9]
The King and Queen had a surprise private meeting withPope Francis at the Vatican, after their state visit to the Holy See was cancelled over concerns for the pontiff's health.[10] The royal couple ended the day as the guests of honour at a state banquet hosted by President Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace.[11]
After undertaking separate engagements in Rome, the King and Queen travelled toRavenna where they visitedDante's Tomb and heard a reading of theDivine Comedy. The King also visited theBasilica of San Vitale and theMausoleum of Galla Placidia. The royal couple also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the region's liberation duringWorld War II by a British and Canadian force. To close the visit, the King and Queen visited a traditional market.[7]
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