On 9th April 2005, Charles and Camilla were married at Windsor Guildhall. Today, 20 years later, The King and Queen were marking the special anniversary in Rome continuing their State Visit to Italy.
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace released new portraits of Their Majesties taken at the British Ambassador’s residence to mark the special anniversary.
The King met the Prime Minister of Italy. (Royal Family)
At the beginning of the day, Their Majesties undertook separate engagements. The King met with the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, where he recieved a ceremonial red-carpet welcome at the Villa Doria Pamphili. His Majesty was greeted by a military band on horseback lined up in front of the Palace. The pair engaged in conversation as they walked around the Palace’s gardens.
📚 A delightful morning filled with storytelling!
During a visit to the Istituto Comprensivo Alessandro Manzoni, The Queen met schoolchildren learning about Paddington Bear and presented certificates to those who participated in a special writing competition marking the British… pic.twitter.com/IxM9HIgn8V
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2025
Meanwhile, The Queen visited Istituto Comprensivo Alessandro Manzoni, a local state school in Rome, where she met school children who have been taking part in a competition to mark the 80th Anniversary of the British Council. The visit aimed to promote the benefit of developing a passion of literature from a young age and to champion the need to help the younger generation to learn to read.
Their Majesties at the Italian Parliament during their state visit. (Royal Family)
Their Majesties reunited for a joint engagement at the Italian Parliament, where The King addressed both houses. In making the speech, Charles became the first British Monarch to address the Parliament. His Majesty is only the fourth non-Italian to have addressed the Chamber from the President’s podium.
Throughout the speech, The King demonstrated his Italian speaking skills. Standing before both chambers – the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies – the King began with a gracious and warm introduction: “Presidents of the Senate and of the Camera, Prime Minister, Senators, Deputies, Institutional Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am enormously touched to have been invited here today, and most grateful to President Mattarella for his kind invitation to make a State Visit to Italy.” His words set the tone for a speech that was as personal as it was political, weaving threads of shared history, mutual admiration, and common purpose.
King Charles became the first British Monarch to address the Parliament. (Royal Family)
Marking his first visit to Italy since ascending the throne, and coinciding with his twentieth wedding anniversary, the King remarked with typical wit, “I hope I’m not ruining Dante’s language so much that I’m never invited to Italy again.” Yet it was clear that his affection for Italy ran deep. Having made eighteen official visits over four decades, he recalled moments of joy and sorrow: from admiring the restored grandeur of La Fenice in Venice to witnessing the resilience of Amatrice after the devastating 2017 earthquake. These memories served as both a tribute and a testament to the emotional and historical bond between the two nations.
The King’s address was as much a celebration of shared past as it was a call to unity for the future. Drawing on centuries of interaction – from Roman coins bearing monarchs’ heads to the cultural reverberations of Garibaldi’s visit to London—Charles illustrated how intertwined the two countries’ narratives have always been. “So we are two peoples, and two nations, whose stories are deeply intertwined – including, of course, with that of our European continent. We are both, after all, European countries.” His references to the Cosmati pavement beneath his coronation throne, laid by British and Italian craftsmen, and to Shakespeare’s love of Italian settings, were elegant reminders of a shared artistic and architectural legacy.
🎙️ The King has addressed a joint session of the Italian Parliament, becoming the first British monarch and only the fourth non-Italian to do so.
💬 “È molto importante per La Regina, e per me, tornare in Italia per la nostra prima visita dopo l’incoronazione. Il momento è… pic.twitter.com/T7msLVEpyV
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2025
At the heart of his address, however, was a powerful message about common values and contemporary challenges. He spoke movingly of the sacrifices made during the Second World War, commemorating both British and Italian courage, and highlighted the unwavering alliance between the countries today, particularly in the defence of Ukraine. The joint efforts in defence, clean energy, and climate action—symbolised by upcoming NATO exercises and collaborative projects like the Global Combat Air Programme—reinforced the theme of mutual trust and cooperation.
Finally, the King returned to what he called the “golden thread” that binds the two nations: their people. With over 450,000 Italians living in the U.K., and thousands of Britons calling Italy home, he praised the cultural exchanges and deep personal connections that continue to flourish. “Italy will always be in my heart,” he declared, invoking the memory of Queen Elizabeth II’s own ties to the country and ending with a reflection on the vibrant mosaic of relationships, histories, and futures that unite the U.K. and Italy. It was a speech that not only honored the past but laid a hopeful, collaborative vision for the years ahead.
The day concluded with a State Banquet at Quirinale Palace, hosted by The President of Italy. For the occasion, The King wore black tie with his UK Order of Merit neck order and Italian Order of Merit star with a selection of British Orders and medals. Meanwhile, The Queen wore a green lace gown by Fiona Clare, with a turquoise and diamond necklace that belonged to her mother, Rosalind Shand.
The menu at the Banquet consisted of bottoni pasta with aubergine caponata, sea bass in salt crust; roast potatoes, fried artichokes, courgette flowers; and fiordilatte ice cream cake with raspberries for dessert.
