Prince will attend event at MAXXI

British royal Prince Harry will visit Italy on 18 and 19 May to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino during world war two.

On 18 May Prince Harry will attend a Polish commemoration ceremony where he will lay a wreath on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. The prince will then visit the Abbey of Monte Cassino where he will meet wounded Italian veterans, some of whom are taking part in the upcoming Invictus Games in London this September. Launched by Prince Harry two months ago, the international paralympic-style sporting event is designed for wounded soliders.

Later that day the prince will attend a New Zealand commemoration service at the Cassino Commonwealth war cemetery where he will lay a wreath and meet New Zealand veterans.

Prince Harry then returns to Rome to attend an event at the Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo MAXXI where he will unveil the winning design for the UK pavilion at Milan EXPO 2015. Entitled Great Britain in Rome, the family-friendly event is a celebration of British music, art and culture, with fun activities for adults and children alike.

The initiative is co-ordinated by the British embassy in Rome in collaboration with other British organisations in Italy and is open to all, from 11.00 until dusk.

On 19 May Prince Harry returns to the Cassino Commonwealth War Cemetery to attend a British remembrance service and meet veterans who fought at Cassino and elsewhere during the Italian campaign.

Prince Harry has only been to Italy once, privately, as a child. His arrival comes six weeks after the Rome visit of his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, on 3 April.

For a further insight into the significance of the royal visit see the blog of British ambassador to Italy, Christopher Prentice.