'Dear to my heart': King Charles III addresses Italian parliament in Rome in historic first

ADVERTISEMENT

King Charles III has become the first British monarch to address both houses of the Italian parliament.

The king, who delivered part of his speech in Italian, told those gathered on Wednesday that he had come "to reaffirm the deep friendship between the United Kingdom and Italy".

Democracies like the UK and Italy need to stand together during this period of significant global uncertainty, he said.

Charles also spoke of the long shared history between the two countries — mentioning the ancient Romans' arrival on Britain's "windswept shores" — and of his fondness for Italy.

"Italy is, as I hope you know, a country that is dear to my heart," the 76-year-old said.

The British sovereign is only the fourth non-Italian to have addressed the country's entire parliament.

Pope John Paul II, Spain's former monarch Juan Carlos and the current King Felipe VI did so before him.

The British king's speech came during a four-day royal visit to Rome and Ravenna which began on Monday.

On Tuesday, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited famous landmarks in the Italian capital, including the Colosseum.

Before his speech to Italy's parliament on Wednesday, the monarch met the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Rome's Villa Pamphili and also watched a Shakespeare play.

The royal couple will attend a state banquet hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday evening at Rome’s Quirinale Palace.

Wednesday's activities coincide with the king and queen's 20th wedding anniversary.

On the final day of their tour, Charles and Camilla will spend Thursday in the northern Italian town of Ravenna, where a reception will be held to mark the 80th anniversary of the region’s liberation from the Nazis by the Allied forces on 10 April 1945.

The trip to Italy marks Charles' first overseas trip since he was briefly hospitalised due to the side effects of his cancer treatment.