Royals land in Rome as state visit to Italy gets underway.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla landed in Rome's Ciampino airport just after 17.00 on Monday, escorted by Italian F-35 fighter jets, as they begin a four-day state visit to Italy.

The royals, who will undertake engagements in Rome and Ravenna, were welcomed by Italy's undersecretary for foreign affairs Maria Tripodi alongside Britain's ambassador to Italy Edward Llewellyn and the Italian ambassador to the UK, Inigo Lambertini.

The state visit comes 10 days after Charles, 76, was admitted to hospital due to negative side effects from cancer treatment however the health setback was described by royal sources as a "minor bump in the road" and resumed his duties in time for the Italy trip.

After Italian fighter jets gave them a military escort in the skies above Rome, King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive for the start of a four day State Visit to Italy (the State Visit to the Vatican had to be cancelled due to the Pope’s health).
The King and Queen will be in… pic.twitter.com/36JYnvHbp5

— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) April 7, 2025

Buckingham Palace on Monday released a statement underlining the royal family's special relationship with Italy and how they cherished memories of their previous tours.

"This week the King and Queen will visit Rome and Ravenna during a state visit to Italy" - the statement reads - "His Majesty has visited Italy 17 times before whilst Her Majesty has visited twice. Although this is the first time they will visit as king and Queen."

"The shared history between the UK and Italy includes the fact that Queen Elizabeth II visited the country five times accompanied by Prince Philip", the statement said, adding that this week's state visit will "underscore the depth and breadth of that bilateral relationship, and the links between our peoples."

The statement also recalled that last month the king and queen hosted a dinner to celebrate Italian food and fashion at Highgrove, during which Charles said: "Our two nations share so many ties, between our people; between our culture; a deep friendship rooted in shared values, mutual affection and mutual respect."

This week, The King and Queen will visit Rome and Ravenna on a State Visit to Italy.

Swipe through to read more about Their Majesties’ previous visits to Italy.

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 7, 2025

The royal tour will include a total of 19 engagements, however the Vatican element of the programme was cancelled as Pope Francis recuperates from double pneumonia.

The state visit will feature a visit to the Colosseum Archaeological Park on Tuesday, resulting in restricted public access.

Military links between the two countries will be emphasised with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a joint flypast over Rome by Italy's Frecce Tricolori jets and the UK's Red Arrows.

On Wednesday, the 20th anniversary of the royal couple's wedding, King Charles will become the first British monarch to address both houses of the Italian parliament.

The royals will be received at Villa Doria Pamphilj by Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, who will host a state banquet at the Quirinal Palace in their honour on Wednesday evening, with 150 guests invited to the gala black-tie event.

The tour will end on Thursday with a visit to Ravenna where the royal couple will attend a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the northern city's liberation from Nazi occupation by the Allies.

The programme will also include a visit to the tomb of the Italian writer Dante as well as a museum commemorating the English Romantic poet Lord Byron.

Previous royal visits

In October 2019, as Prince of Wales, Charles travelled to Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman at the Vatican.

In April 2017 the then Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall paid an official visit to Italy during which they met then prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, President Mattarella, and Pope Francis.

The royal couple also visited Naples and Florence during that trip, with Charles travelling to Amatrice, the Lazio town devastated by an earthquake the previous year.

Photo credit: Mick Atkins / Shutterstock.com.