King Charles and Queen Camilla are preparing to host a formal dinner this Friday with Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci. The event is in celebration of their upcoming state visit to Italy, as announced by Buckingham Palace.
During their visit to Italy in April, the royal couple will have the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis, engage with senior Italian officials, and explore iconic destinations like Rome and the historic city of Ravenna.
The trip, which has now been officially confirmed, will likely coincide with the King and Queen’s 20th wedding anniversary on April 9.
Stanley Tucci, known for his role as a presenter on the popular BBC series Searching for Italy, will play a significant role during the dinner. He is expected to deliver a speech at Highgrove, the King’s estate in Gloucestershire, where the event will be held.
The Italian-themed evening will also feature a specially curated menu from renowned Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, using locally sourced ingredients in the ‘slow food’ tradition.
And while each course is traditionally Italian, almost every ingredient has been produced in Britain, sourced over many months from Scotland to Somerset.
But despite Mazzei’s effort to use 100 per cent British ingredients, he ultimately granted one small nod to his homeland.
‘The only Italian item I am allowed to use is Farchioni olive oil,’ he admitted. ‘I couldn’t find that here.. I did find some olive oil from, I think Essex, but I didn’t really like it.’
Stanley Tucci, a well-known presenter of the acclaimed BBC series Searching for Italy, will deliver a speech at Highgrove, the King’s Gloucestershire estate, where the event will take place
King Charles and Queen Camilla pictured in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle following their religious blessing on April 9, 2005
King Charles III meeting Prince’s Trust Awards winners and the charity’s celebrity ambassadors, Holly Willoughby and Stanley Tucci, during a reception at Buckingham Palace, February 06, 2025
Meanwhile, expert mixologist Alessandro Palazzi will prepare drinks inspired by Italian flavours, using herbs grown at Highgrove.
The confirmation of the state visit suggests that the King, 78, is well enough to travel overseas, as he continues his cancer treatment.
The tour announcement comes the week after Charles travelled to Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
It will mark his 18th official visit to Italy, reinforcing his deep appreciation for the country’s art, culture, and religious heritage.
Tucci, whose Italian heritage has been a significant part of his career, recently starred in the Oscar-nominated Vatican thriller Conclave.
He has also spoken openly about his own battle with throat cancer, which temporarily affected his sense of taste – a poignant connection to the King’s own health journey.
The dinner will also be attended by Italy’s ambassador to the UK, Inigo Lambertini, as well as key figures in the diplomatic and cultural world.
The Slow Food initiative was launched in 1986 in the small Italian town of Bra when food writer Carlo Petrini took exception to the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna, leading to widespread national protests.
It promotes the right to good, clean and fair food for all, and strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine.
Charles has long been a champion of the Slow Food philosophy.
The event will also promote Slow Fashion, with the King and Queen meeting King’s Foundation’s students and being shown garments demonstrating their sustainable fashion and heritage skills.
The Slow Fashion movement encourages people to buy fewer, higher-quality items which last longer.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend a Gala Dinner at Palazzo Vecchio with the Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella and his wife during day 4 of their visit to Italy, on April 3, 2017 in Florence
They will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican and celebrate the Catholic Church’s Pilgrims of Hope jubilee year
During their trip, the King and Queen will meet Pope Francis, an engagement that holds special significance as 2025 marks a ‘Jubilee Year’ for the Catholic Church – an event that occurs once every 25 years.
The couple will join the Pope in Rome as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, according to Buckingham Palace.
The King is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The role dates back to Henry VIII, who named himself Supreme Head of the Church of England after he was excommunicated by the Pope and broke from the Catholic Church in the 16th century to marry Anne Boleyn.
The visit will also recall a historic moment from 2005, when the King, then Prince Charles, had to delay his own wedding to Camilla in order to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome.
This will be Charles’s first meeting with Pope Francis since becoming King, as well as his first official visit to the Vatican as monarch and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip previously visited the Pope during the last Jubilee Year in 2000.
As a state visit, the trip is being carried out on behalf of the Foreign Office, with meetings expected between the King and key Italian government officials.
While the full itinerary is yet to be revealed, the visit is expected to strengthen ties between the UK and Italy, a key European partner.
With a milestone wedding anniversary, a meeting with the Pope, and a celebration of Italian culture, the visit promises to be a deeply significant moment for the royal couple.
