by InTrieste
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Rome on Monday evening, escorted by Italian F-35 fighter jets, at the start of a four-day state visit to Italy. The couple was welcomed at Ciampino airport by senior Italian and British diplomats, including Maria Tripodi, Edward Llewellyn, and Inigo Lambertini.
The visit comes just 10 days after the King, 76, was briefly hospitalized due to complications from cancer treatment—a health issue described by royal sources as a “minor bump in the road.”
Buckingham Palace emphasized the strong historical ties between the U.K. and Italy, noting that Charles has visited the country 17 times, though this marks his first as monarch.
Key moments on the itinerary include:
- A visit to the Colosseum Archaeological Park on Tuesday
- A joint flypast over Rome by Italy’s Frecce Tricolori and the U.K.’s Red Arrows
- A historic address by King Charles to both houses of the Italian Parliament on Wednesday
- A state banquet hosted by President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace
- A final stop in Ravenna to commemorate the city’s WWII liberation and visit the tomb of Dante
The Vatican leg of the tour was canceled due to Pope Francis’s ongoing recovery from illness.
