King Charles marked his 20th wedding anniversary with Queen Camilla during a state banquet in Italy, where he humorously thanked the Italian President for organizing a “small, romantic” dinner to celebrate the occasion.
Speaking to around 150 guests in the grand Sala delle Feste at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, the King quipped:
“Today marks, as you say, the Queen’s and my 20th wedding anniversary. On that score, I must say it really is very good of you, Mr. President, to lay on this small, romantic, candle-lit dinner for two.”
Laughter filled the room as the King continued in Italian, saying it was “truly special” to spend the day in a country he and the Queen are “so deeply fond of.”
President Sergio Mattarella, delivering his own speech in English, congratulated Their Majesties. “We are delighted that you are spending it in Italy,” he said.
The royal couple joined prominent guests for the anniversary dinner, including opera star Andrea Bocelli, hotelier Rocco Forte, designers Sir Paul Smith and Brunello Cuccinelli, and celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli. The banquet menu featured bottoni pasta with aubergine caponata, sea bass baked in salt crust, roast potatoes, fried artichokes, courgette flowers, and a Fiordilatte ice cream cake topped with raspberries.
Earlier in the evening, the King and Queen were welcomed by President Mattarella and his daughter, Signora Laura, after being escorted to the Sala del Brustolon by the President’s Aide de Camp, General Marco Nasi. They were introduced to the palace’s Head of Protocol, Cinzia Raimondi, and met several guests recognized for their contributions to UK-Italian relations.
In a private audience room, the President presented the King and Queen with a selection of thoughtful gifts. Among them was a rare illustrated edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy, which the King described as “fantastic.” He was also given a book detailing the President’s Castel Porziano Estate, located near the coast outside Rome, along with a large photograph of the estate’s English oak trees by photographer Massimo Listri.
“We hope you will visit,” said Signora Laura. “I do hope so,” replied the King.
Queen Camilla received a copy of The Book of the Horse by Samuel Sidney. She had admired the volume during a visit to the palace’s Piffetti Library the day before.
“That’s absolutely beautiful. I love all the illustrations. That’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “Look at the binding, darling,” added the King. “Oh, it’s beautiful,” she replied. “That’s so nice,” he agreed. “I love books,” she said.
In return, the King presented the President with a set of four volumes of The Grand Tour, an 18th-century travel account by Thomas Nugent.
“I thought you might like these,” the King said. “I know you collect. I took a lot of trouble to discover what you were really interested in.” The President replied, “Thank you so much, Your Majesty. This is very precious.”
The President also received a signed and framed photograph of the King and Queen, while Signora Laura was gifted an enamel brooch bearing the royal couple’s cypher.
The evening concluded in the Salone dei Corazzieri, where the King and Queen greeted guests in a formal line-up. Many, including Sir Paul Smith, offered warm congratulations on their anniversary. Others praised the King for addressing the Italian parliament in Italian, with one guest telling him, “Bravissimo.”
