King and Queen to Celebrate Anniversary with Italian State Visit

To mark their 20th wedding anniversary, the King and Queen will be guests of honor at a state banquet in Rome. The black-tie dinner will be hosted by Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella, and will include prominent figures from Italian society.

This event is part of a four-day state visit to Italy, commencing on Monday. The anniversary celebrates two decades since their civil wedding ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005.

Their relationship began in the early 1970s, when they met at a polo field. Despite their closeness, no marriage proposal was made at the time. Camilla later married Andrew Parker Bowles, and Charles married Diana, Princess of Wales. Both Charles and Camilla later divorced.

Their first public appearance together was in 1999, outside the Ritz hotel in London. At their wedding reception, Queen Elizabeth II expressed her pride and wished them well, referencing the challenges they had overcome.

The King spent Friday finalizing preparations for the state visit to the Republic of Italy. However, due to Pope Francis's recovery from pneumonia, the visit to the Holy See has been postponed.

Several Vatican events have been removed from the itinerary in Rome. The remaining engagements in the Italian capital have been spread over two days, with additional elements added to others.

The overseas tour was originally planned to include the King's first meeting with the Pope as monarch. Charles was also scheduled to become the first British monarch to visit the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. During the state visit, he will address both houses of the Italian parliament, a first for a British sovereign.