King Charles III and Queen Camilla concluded their Italian state visit with a warm reception in Ravenna, marking the final stop of a journey that began three days prior in Rome.
The King, aged 76, and the Queen, 77, spent the initial portion of their trip in Italy’s capital city, where Charles addressed the Italian Parliament. This marks his 17th official visit to Italy and represents his first international excursion this year while he continues treatment for cancer.
The timing of this State Visit holds particular significance, coinciding with the couple’s twentieth wedding anniversary—Charles and Camilla were wed on April 9, 2005.
Their journey to Ravenna, located in the northeastern Emilia-Romagna region, centered around commemorating the 80th anniversary of the city’s liberation from Nazi occupation during World War II by Allied forces. This event will bring their Italian tour to a close before they return to the United Kingdom.
Today’s itinerary highlights the importance of literary heritage. The royal couple are expected to visit the tomb of Dante Alighieri, and Queen Camilla will make a separate visit to the Byron museum.
The day began with a reception in Rome, where Charles and Camilla met with representatives from the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. Subsequently, they traveled to Ravenna’s Piazza San Francesco, where they toured Dante’s final resting place and participated in a reading of excerpts from his renowned work, *The Divine Comedy*.
Queen Camilla, known for her love of literature and support of numerous literary charities, will then proceed to the Byron museum. There, she will learn about the Romantic poet’s time spent in Italy and attend a reception featuring local book clubs, libraries, bookstores, and representatives from her Reading Room book club.
In Ravenna’s town hall, the King and Queen attended a formal reception honoring the 80th anniversary of the province’s liberation. The effort was supported by British and Canadian troops.
The tour concluded with a visit to Ravenna’s market in the Piazza del Popolo, where Charles and Camilla met local producers and organizations.
Prior to arriving in Ravenna, King Charles and Queen Camilla made an unexpected private visit to Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon, who is currently recovering from pneumonia.
“During the meeting, the Pope expressed his best wishes to Charles and Camilla on their 20th wedding anniversary,”
a Vatican statement confirmed, adding that the royals wished for his “speedy recovery.”
Buckingham Palace responded by stating that Charles and Camilla were “delighted the pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person.”
