To celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a quick detour for a photo shoot during the first day of their royal tour of Italy. Following the stop on Monday, the pair released a new official portrait, taken by longtime royal photographer Chris Jackson outside of Villa Wolkonsky in Rome.
The couple—who were married in a civil ceremony in April 2005—also shared a message about the four-day visit, which will take them to Rome and Ravenna. “As we begin our first visit to Italy as King and Queen, we are so looking forward to celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary in such a special place—and with such wonderful people,” it read. “A presto, Roma e Ravenna!”
When the king and the queen first announced this tour, intended to emphasize the strong bonds between the UK and Italy, their itinerary also included a stop by the Vatican to honor the year’s Papal Jubilee with Pope Francis, but it was cancelled due to the pontiff’s long illness. Though the pope recently returned home following a five-week stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where he was treated for pneumonia, his recovery is still ongoing.
On Tuesday, the visit continued with a flypast emphasizing the nation’s military alliance. According to the BBC, the king and queen watched as the UK’s Red Arrow pilots flew alongside Italy’s Frecce Tricolori, both aerobatic teams trailing the colors of their respective flags. Later, the couple traveled to pose in front of the Colosseum and the Temple of Venus.
In remarks to the press, the UK’s ambassador to Italy Lord Llewellyn said that the king and queen’s “love for Italy” and “all things Italian” has resonated with the Italian public. “This state visit comes at a key moment,” he added, “as we reset our relations with our European partners.”
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