King and Queen joined by the Beckhams, Helen Mirren and Stanley Tucci for black-tie dinner at Highgrove
The King and Queen were joined by celebrities at a black-tie dinner celebrating Italian cuisine and "slow food".
Among the guests for Charles and Camilla's event at Highgrove House were Victoria and David Beckham, Dame Helen Mirren and Stanley Tucci.
The pair invited actors and stars - as well as Italian ambassador Inigo Lambertini - to the King's Gloucestershire estate to enjoy a sustainable slow food-themed feast.
The slow food initiative was launched in 1986 in the small Italian town of Bra when food writer Carlo Petrini took exception to the opening of a McDonald's in Rome's Piazza di Spagna, leading to widespread national protests.
Charles has long been a champion of the philosophy, telling the crowd during dinner that slow food and Italy were "dear to my heart".
The King also said: "Good food brings people together and what we choose to eat helps to define us - as families, communities and nations.
"It brings us sustenance, but also comfort. It binds generations, as recipes are passed down from one to another. It is a thing of beauty - 'edible art'..."
The Queen spoke ahead of the dinner with David and Victoria about life in the Cotswolds, which the former Manchester United midfielder said was "so beautiful".
He added: "We love it. We are very happy there. We've got chickens..." Camilla then interjected: "I've got chickens too!"
The King also made a martini with Italian mixologist Alessandro Palazzi, laughing when the lemon almost went up his nose as he tried to take a sip.
The menu was created by renowned Italian chef Francesco Mazzei and inspired by Tucci, who fronted the TV series Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy.
the King and Queen will visit both Italy and the Holy See in April - coinciding with their 20th wedding anniversary.
Both of the royals will join Pope Francis in celebrating the 2025 Jubilee Year and will visit Rome and the northeastern city of Ravenna during the state visits.
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Western Telegraph
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Charles and Camilla joined Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105 who served in the Far East and Pacific at a national service of remembrance in Staffordshire on Friday. VJ Day on August 15 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the six-year war, but much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. Yavar Abbas, who was a captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage at the National Memorial Arboretum to read extracts from his diaries during his time in Burma in 1945, but took a moment to pay tribute to his 'brave king' first. Charles and Camilla react to veteran Yavar Abbas's reference to the King's cancer treatment during the service (Joe Giddens/PA) Camilla looked at her husband sitting next to her and appeared to wipe away a tear as Mr Abbas, 105, originally from Lucknow in India, said: 'I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave king, who is here with his beloved queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer.' Applause rang out among the crowd of around 1,500 guests as Mr Abbas said he had also battled cancer, adding that he hoped it would bring 'comfort' that he had been rid of the disease himself for 25 years. He added: 'I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandad's 14th Army is never given the sobriquet again of The Forgotten Army.' Charles talks to veteran Yavar Abbas during the service (Alastair Grant/PA) The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Children's Choir of Great Britain, Jennifer Pike and the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums. Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns 'shall never be forgotten'. He also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japan's surrender, describing the 'immense price' paid by its citizens as one 'we pray no nation need ever pay again'. He said: 'Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity – a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.' After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of General Bill Slim, who led the so-called Forgotten Army. The service was attended by around 1,500 guests (Joe Giddens/PA) He viewed tributes at the Burma Railway memorial, which is constructed from 30 metres of original track from the so-called 'Railway of Death', and took a moment of reflection at the Burma Star Memorial and the Chindit Memorial, before heading to a reception for VJ veterans and their families. The King and Queen were joined by the Prime Minister and Lady Starmer, as they met some 30 veterans who served in the Far East during the Second World War for the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, accompanied by their families and carers.
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We are honoured to host the national commemoration at the @Nat_Mem_Arb, and will be joined by veterans who served in the Far East.#VJDay80 1/2 — Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) August 13, 2025 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life – a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.' VJ Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of the end of the six-year-long war. Much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. The King's six-minute address was broadcast ahead of a national service of remembrance due to be attended by Charles, the Queen and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Also there as guests of honour will be 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105, who served in the Far East and Pacific. Iconic aircraft will join the nation's tribute to veterans of the Far East campaign this Friday. ✈️ Around 400 members of the UK Armed Forces will honour their predecessors on the 80th anniversary of #VJDay, at the National Memorial Arboretum. 🫡 🇬🇧 A tri-service Guard of… — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) August 11, 2025 A national two-minute silence will be held at noon and the Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for flypast over the commemorations. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. The King described the 80th anniversary as a day of 'profound remembrance' and said of his grandfather King George's VI's 'The war is ended' audio broadcast at the time: 'Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedom's new dawn.' He also painted a vivid picture of when 'high above those monsoon-lashed jungles, allied pilots displayed their own fearless bravery, flying fighters, bombers and transport aircraft into enemy fire and nature's fury'. This year we mark the momentous milestone of 80 years since the end of the Second World War. We cannot do so without honouring those who continued to fight and be held in brutal captivity in the Far East and Pacific, long after the VE Day celebrations erupted.#VJDay80 (1/10) — Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) August 11, 2025 The speech made no mention of the King's father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2 1945. But Charles paid tribute to his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command. He recalled how Lord Mountbatten taught him about the 'horrors and heroism' of the conflict. The King said: 'The war in South East Asia had reached its climax under the leadership of my great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, from whom I learned so much about the particular horrors and heroism witnessed in those furthest fields of combat. 'The forces aligned under him comprised over one million men and women, drawn from many different countries, religions and communities, but united by common purpose and indomitable spirit.' Charles said he was aware of the 'mental and physical scars' the conflict left on those who survived. 'Twenty-Nine Victoria Crosses bear eloquent testimony to their valour, but I know full well of the toll it took on so many – measured not only in gravestones, but in the mental and physical scars of those who survived,' he said. He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: 'Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. 'That remains a vital lesson for our times.' The Prince and Princess of Wales also reflected on the 'enduring debt' owed to those who fought. In a message posted on social media, signed 'W & C', they said: 'Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice and resilience of all who served. Today we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific. 'We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful. Lest we forget.'
