King & Queen welcome Stanley Tucci ahead of Italy state visit
Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 03/07/2024. Edinburgh, United Kingdom. King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a celebration at Edinburgh Castle to mark the 900th Anniversary of the City of Edinburgh on day two of their visit to Scotland. Picture by i-Images / Pool
King Charles and Queen Camilla will host actor Stanley Tucci at a formal dinner on Friday evening to celebrate the confirmation of their upcoming state visit to Italy later this year. The royal couple will travel to Italy in April to meet Pope Francis and Italian leaders, with engagements planned in Rome and the ancient city of Ravenna. The visit is expected to coincide with their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9th.
Tucci, who presented Searching for Italy on the BBC, will give a speech at the event held at the royals’ Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire. The dinner will feature an Italian-inspired menu prepared by chef Francesco Mazzei, showcasing “slow food” cooking with fresh, regional ingredients. Mixologist Alessandro Palazzi will create drinks using Italian herbs grown at Highgrove.
The confirmation of the state visit also suggests that King Charles is well enough for international travel as he continues his cancer treatment. Tucci, an American of Italian descent and a throat cancer survivor, has spoken about how the disease affected his taste.
This visit to Italy will be King Charles’ 18th official trip there, highlighting his long-standing appreciation for the country’s art, culture, and religion. During the visit, the royal couple will likely meet with senior Italian officials as part of efforts to strengthen relations with Italy, an important European partner.
The trip will also include a special moment for the King and Queen to mark their 20th wedding anniversary. Their wedding date was originally set for April 2005, but was changed following the death of Pope John Paul II, with Prince Charles attending the funeral in Rome.
The visit will also coincide with a special Catholic “jubilee” year, held every 25 years, which the King and Queen will attend with Pope Francis as “Pilgrims of Hope.” Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip met Pope John Paul II during the last jubilee year in 2000. This will be the first meeting between King Charles and Pope Francis since Charles became monarch and supreme governor of the Church of England.