The King has joked about spending his milestone wedding anniversary at a State Banquet in Italy, thanking President Mattarella for laying on a “small, romantic” dinner for them.
Addressing around 150 guests in the Sala delle Feste in the Quirinale Palace, he said: “Today marks, as you say, the Queen’s and my 20th wedding anniversary. On that score, I must say it really is very good of you, Mr President, to lay on this small, romantic, candle-lit dinner for two.”
Amid laughter, he then said, in Italian, “I can only say that to be able to spend this moment here in Italy, a country of which The Queen and I are so deeply fond of, is truly special.”
In his own speech, President Mattarella said, in English, “I wish to add my congratulations on the wedding anniversary of Their Majesties. We are delighted that you are spending it in Italy.”
Their Majesties joined guests including opera singer Andrea Bocelli, hotelier Rocco Forte, designers Sir Paul Smith and Brunello Cuccinelli and celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli for a dinner of bottoni pasta with aubergine caponata, sea bass in salt crust, roast potatoes, fried artichokes and courgette flowers, followed by Fiordilatte ice cream cake with raspberries.
Earlier the royal couple had been escorted to the Sala del Brustolon by the President’s Aide de Camp General Marco Nasi, where they were welcomed by Mr Mattarella and his daughter Signora Laura. The King and Queen were introduced to the Quirinale’s Head of Protocol Cinzia Raimondi and some of the 150 guests, chosen for their contribution to UK-Italian relations.
© Getty ImagesThen the royal couple and the Mattarellas moved to an audience room to view gifts from the President. They included a rare, illustrated volume of Dante’s Divine Comedy, which the King described as “fantastic”, and a book about the President’s Castel Porziano Estate near the coast outside Rome.
“We hope you will visit,” said Signora Laura. “I do hope so,” replied the monarch, who was also given a huge photograph of the English oaks growing there by the photographer Massimo LIstri.
© Getty ImagesThe Queen was gifted a copy of Samuel Sidney’s Book of the Horse, which she had admired in the Quirinale’s Piffetti Library a day earlier.
“That’s absolutely beautiful, I love all the illustrations. That’s absolutely wonderful.” she said. “Look at the binding, darling,” said the King. “I’m just looking, oh it’s beautiful,” she replied.”That’s so nice,” agreed her husband. “I love books,” said the Queen.
© Getty ImagesThe President appeared delighted to receive four volumes of the Thomas Nugent books The Grand Tour, or a journey through the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France. “I thought you might like these,” said the King. “I know you collect. I took a lot of trouble to discover what you were really interested in.” “Thank you so much Your Majesty, this is very precious,” he replied.
He also received a signed, framed photo of the King and Queen and Camilla presented his daughter, Signora Laura, with an enamel brooch bearing the couple’s cypher.The royal party then moved into the Salone dei Corazzieri, where they greeted guests in a line up.
© Getty ImagesMany, including Sir Paul Smith, congratulated the King and Queen on their wedding anniversary. Others praised the King for addressing parliament in Italian, with one guest telling him: “Bravissimo”.
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