King and Queen watch flypast over Rome as state visit to Italy under way
The King and Queen received a red carpet welcome and watched a flypast as they were greeted by Italy's president following their arrival in Rome for a state visit.
The royal couple were met by President Sergio Mattarella at his official residence in Rome, the Quirinale Palace, after their limousine was escorted into the palace quadrangle by mounted Corazzieri guards.
Laura Mattarella, the president's daughter, acting in a first lady role following the death of her mother, was also there to greet Charles and Camilla.
on Tuesday morning, where again they had a red carpet rolled out for them as they were met by dignitaries, including the UK's ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn.
Charles, Camilla, President Mattarella and his daughter stood still as they listened to the national anthems of Italy and the UK being played out at the Quirinale.
Lined up nearby them were a guard of honour formed of the Quirinale Band, troops from the Italian army, navy and air force, members of Italy's military police the Carabinieri and mounted Corazzieri guards.
The King and Queen watched a joint flypast over the capital by the Italian air force's aerobatic team, Frecce Tricolori, streaming Italy's national colours, and the RAF's Red Arrows, who left red, white and blue smoke in their wake.
Honours were later exchanged by the King and the president at the palace.
The King was made a Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, and he presented Mr Mattarella with the insignia for a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
"It goes back quite a long way," said Charles. "It's just a token really of our appreciation, you've served for so long."
"I'm humbled, your majesty," Mr Mattarella replied.
The Queen was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, and told her host: "I'm very honoured and humbled."
What else has been on Charles and Camilla's schedule?
After meeting the president, the couple visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located within the Victor Emmanuel II Monument (also known as Altare della Patria) in Rome's famed Piazza Venezia, where they laid a wreath.
Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy were also in attendance.
Charles and Camilla then headed to the Colosseum, where they took pictures in front of the 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre.
The couple greeted members of the public during their visit to the Colosseum and beamed as they waved to crowds with the iconic site in the background.
British and Italian military bands stood outside the Colosseum, which attracts millions of tourists every year, during the state visit.
Built during the first century, in its day the Colosseum held around 50,000 spectators who watched gladiators compete, including contests between men and animals and larger staged battles under the shade of a huge retractable awning.
During the royals' visit on Tuesday, spectators were entertained by the band of the Welsh Guards and Italy's Sassari Brigade Band, who played a selection of movie themes and other popular songs.
Charles and Camilla are also attending a British community reception later on Tuesday.
The timing of Charles and Camilla's visit means they will spend their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday in Italy.
The trip comes just less than a fortnight after Buckingham Palace confirmed the King had been taken to hospital following side effects related to his ongoing cancer treatment.
Last week, he returned to a full diary of official engagements, albeit slightly adjusted to give more time for rest ahead of the trip to Italy.
Read more from Sky News:
The four-day visit to Italy, on behalf of the government, is an important step in continuing efforts to bolster relationships with EU countries following Brexit, but also significant in the context of Donald Trump's presidency and the disruption that has caused.
The King and Queen were also due to visit the Vatican City and meet Pope Francis, but that in recent weeks due to the Pope's ill health.
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Todd Lyons, the acting head of ICE, this week defended agents' actions, including wearing masks, saying it was for their protection as the public grows increasingly hostile toward their work. 'I am sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, and their family's lives on the line, because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' Lyons said during a press conference. He cited incidents of people identifying agents and then harassing them and their family members online, sometimes posting children's photos and other private information. The agency has made tens of thousands of arrests and deported tens of thousands of foreigners since Trump took office. But top administration aren't happy with the pace. 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The tactics raised alarms from local officials. 'Militarized immigration raids in our neighborhoods erode trust, destabilize families and undermine the constitutional right to due process,' County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said in a statement posted to X. City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera posted a photo of the restaurant raid to Instagram and wrote the word 'terrorists' over the image. Others have described ICE agents as a 'gestapo.' Lyons, in an interview with Fox News, said such descriptions of his officers were 'just plain disgusting.' Elo-Rivera said he stands by his comments, and described the show of force as unnecessary and intended to instill fear. 'It would scare anyone who saw them,' Elo-Rivera said. 'Nobody is safer as a result of the Trump administration attempting to enforce immigration laws.' Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
