Before the Duke of Sussex’s visit to London to contest a decision made by the British government, the King and Queen of England traveled to Italy for a specific reason.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla began a four-day state visit to Italy yesterday, April 7, 2025, aimed at celebrating and strengthening the longstanding relationship between the United Kingdom and Italy. This comes amid Prince Harry’s arrival in London to contest a matter regarding his security.

During their state visit, the royal couple is scheduled to make appearances in both Rome and the city of Ravenna, using the soft power of monarchy to reinforce diplomatic ties and cultural connections between the two nations.

While the trip was initially set to include a formal state visit to the Holy See, that portion of the itinerary has been canceled. Pope Francis is currently recovering after being released from the hospital, where he received treatment for double pneumonia.

With the Vatican events withdrawn from the schedule, the royal delegation has shifted its focus to other parts of the Italian capital.

To accommodate the changes, remaining engagements in Rome have been reorganized and extended across two days, with extra elements added to some appearances.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have taken to Instagram to share moments from their trip so far, including endearing photos of the two of them surrounded by picturesque florals and architecture and a video showing King Charles III’s visit to see President Mattarella at the Quirinale.

Their trip to Italy precedes Prince Harry‘s arrival in the UK, where he appeared in a London courtroom today (Tuesday, April 8) as he formally contested a decision made by the British government to reduce the level of publicly funded security provided to him during visits to the United Kingdom. More details on the story will follow shortly.