After some recent bad news for King Charles in the form of an – admittedly fleeting – setback in his ongoing cancer treatment, you could hardly blame him for wanting a brief respite from the gruelling health challenges that he has faced. And respites don’t come more glamorous or enjoyable than the state visit that he and Queen Camilla are currently undertaking to Italy. It is appropriate that the trip coincides with their 20th wedding anniversary this week. The published itinerary suggests that fun, rather than onerous duty, will be the guiding spirit of the four days that they will be spending in Rome, Ravenna and other locations in the country.
Amidst the pasta and prosecco, there is another, less frivolous side to the King’s presence in Italy
There are, naturally, a few important and relevant state functions that the King will carry out during the visit – Charles has a meeting with the country’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and he will become the first British monarch to address a joint session in the Italian parliament. But, aside from that, a lot of what the King and Queen will be getting up to sounds like a glorious lark, to be enjoyed in, hopefully, radiant sunshine.
There will be whisky and parmesan tastings, visits to the Dante and Byron museums, a fly-past in the King’s honour and, to celebrate their actual anniversary tomorrow, a state banquet at the Italian President’s official residence of the Quirinale Palace in Rome. No wonder that the trip – Charles’s eighteenth visit to the country – has been described as demonstrating the royal pair’s ‘love for Italy and all things Italians cherish – culture, food, heritage’.
It does not sound very tiring, and, to be frank, it probably will not be. Only the most mean-spirited would begrudge the monarch a few relaxing days in one of the world’s greatest countries, and the no doubt glamorous images that will emerge from the trip will do nothing to damage Britain’s reputation for soft power.
Yet in the midst of global turmoil occasioned by Donald Trump’s sweeping imposition of tariffs, it is designed to serve another purpose rather than furthering the royal couple’s love of Italian food and heritage. As the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Llewellyn, stated:
Their Majesties will do something intangible but priceless: their visit will strengthen the closeness between our nations in a way that only they can, creating memories that will last a generation.
There are political considerations, too. While Meloni and Keir Starmer may not seem like natural soulmates, they have been forced together by both the war in Ukraine and, more recently, Trump’s apparent disdain for all things European. Lord Llewelyn’s remarks, therefore, that British defence ‘[is] closer than ever with Italy right now, which is vital in a changing Europe and as both our countries stand steadfast in our support for Ukraine’ and that ‘[our] relationship with Italy continues to strengthen as we reset our relationships with our European partner’” suggest that Charles’s presence is a diplomatic boon for both countries, rather than simply an exercise in la dolce vita.
The King has not been shy about offering not-so-tacit support for Ukraine and Zelensky. It would be surprising, then, if his meeting with Meloni did not include some lobbying on that country’s behalf.
It would be overstating the case to call this particular state visit gruelling or demanding. Yet amidst the pasta and prosecco, there is another, less frivolous side to the King’s presence in Italy, and Charles will be fully aware of the greater responsibilities that he faces. The trip will be fun, and few would suggest that it should not be. However, this most politically conscious of monarchs is seldom off duty, and we can only hope that the state visit sees him at his most relaxed – but also most engaged, too.
Comments