King Charles and Queen Camilla will take part in a number of State Visits this year as the King continues to receive treatment for cancer, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The announcement follows a highly successful three-day trip to Italy where the King addressed the country’s Parliament, held meetings with senior political leaders, and the King and Queen celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
Their Majesties also held a private meeting with the Pope at the Vatican.
It comes at a time when European countries have been brought closer together by the Trump administration’s determination to play a less central role in European defence, leaving Europe’s powers to form new plans to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The UK and Italy have been at the centre of those plans - with the alliance between the two nations stronger than ever.
Economic uncertainty has also meant that the UK and Italy have been working more closely. And along with the fight against illegal international migration, the Royal visit was a demonstration of soft power and diplomacy working alongside political pragmatism.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will take part in a number of State Visits this year
PA
The Palace has been at pains to emphasise that the King is back to a full working programme, despite his treatment. That includes hosting and taking in part in State Visits both at home and abroad.
It’s not clear, however, whether President Trump will take up the King’s invitation of an unprecedented second State Visit to the UK in the next 12 months.
GB News travelled with the King and Queen throughout their trip to Italy - and despite the punishing schedule, Buckingham Palace has hailed the visit as huge success.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said:
“I think the State Visit has achieved all its objectives. This is a relationship that really, really matters, so there’s no accident that the Government asked The King and Queen to go to Italy. It's no accident that it should happen after the visits to France and Germany.
LATEST ON THE KING AND QUEEN'S STATE VISITS:
It remains unclear whether President Trump will take up the King’s invitation of an unprecedented second State Visit
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"I think we saw that from the reaction of the Italian Government, and also with the day in Ravenna and those huge crowds of enthusiastic Italians, many of whom said they had been waiting since very early in the morning.
"All of it really showed soft power at its best - something of which the UK can be rightly proud and which delivers huge benefit for UK interests overseas. As the Italian Government was saying to us throughout, that level of public interest is unprecedented."
During their stay in Italy, the King and Queen spent time enjoying important cultural sites, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Tomb of Dante and the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, a historic city in the northeast of Italy.
The Palace spokesman added:
"These visits are really full-on, packed with engagements to showcase as many possible priorities in the UK’s relationship with a foreign country. So it follows that The King and Queen are naturally pleased when their engagements hit the bullseye and really deliver for Britain.
The King came out of the mausoleum in the grounds of the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna genuinely deeply moved by what he had seen, the Palace said
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"That’s true for the core of the relationship - commercial, defence, commemoration - but also in terms of culture. The King came out of the mausoleum in the grounds of the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna genuinely deeply moved by what he had seen. Seeing the mosaics that inspired Dante to write so beautifully was an extraordinary privilege.”
The King was also able to show support for Canada during a military reception in Ravenna where he met Canadian veterans who fought alongside British forces to help liberate Italy from the Nazis. The symbolism wasn’t lost on those who have deep concerns about the relationship between the Trump administration and Canada - where King Charles is also Head of State.
The Palace spokesman told GB News:
“His Majesty cares very much about all of the countries where he has the privilege of being King and Head of State.
"He’s always supported Canada - there is nothing new in that. What could perhaps otherwise be simply be seen as normal expressions of support do seem to be being noticed a little more. But showing support for Canada is something he’s always done and that he will continue to do.”
One of the most poignant moments of the three days, according to the Palace, was a last-minute decision to see Pope Francis
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One of the most poignant moments of the three days, according to the Palace, was a last-minute decision to see Pope Francis, who is recovering from double pneumonia. The original plan for the tour included a separate state visit to the Holy See, which had to be postponed due to the Pope’s poor health.
“I think outside of the official programme, the most significant and indeed moving thing was that visit to The Pope. We didn’t know until the last minute that it would be possible.
"But when The Pope asked if he could see the King and Queen, Their Majesties were clearly very pleased; after all, they have known him over many years and, with the rest of the world, have been praying for his recovery.
"The Pope wanted personally to wish them a happy anniversary, not least because it hadn’t been possible to do the State Visit on this occasion. Their Majesties both came away feeling that it had been a very significant and special moment.”
During the trip, what was particularly noticeable was the number of people who turned out to see the Royal couple at close quarters. In Ravenna, thousands lined the streets to welcome them with many shouting “Carlo”, the Italian version of Charles.
Over the course of the visit, the King and Queen visited a busy market in the city’s main square, sampling food and drink, with Camilla even taking part in a pasta-making demonstration.
Over the course of the visit, the King and Queen visited a busy market in Ravenna's main square
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The Buckingham Palace spokesman reflected:
“On a personal level, I think The King and Queen also loved the final engagement in Ravenna - including, you may be surprised to hear, the huge crush of the crowds that you will have seen.
"Their Majesties have a genuine passion for traditional Italian food and were deeply touched that so many people had turned out to show support - queueing for hours in the sun to do so. After a very busy programme of official events, here was a chance to celebrate the very best of Italy with The President and the people – a huge high for Their Majesties to depart on. They were only sad that they couldn’t stay a little longer to enjoy it all... but I’m sure the happy memories will say with them for many years to come.”
It seems Charles is not planning to slow down any time soon - and if his energy during this State Visit is anything to go by, Palace officials may be unable to convince him to ease off.
“We’ve all tried,” The spokesman said. “But as people will have seen, The King enjoys his work, he enjoys engaging with as many people as possible; he has a voracious appetite for reading - and because he reads a lot, he learns a lot.
"And in this role, as when Prince of Wales, he knows he is fortunate to be in a position to make a difference, and is determined to do just that . As we are seeing, since this reign began two-and-a-half years ago, he’s achieving that in very many different ways.”
