King and Queen to host Stanley Tucci ahead of Italy state visit

King Charles and Queen Camilla are to big histrion Stanley Tucci astatine a ceremonial meal connected Friday evening to people the confirmation of a authorities sojourn to Italy aboriginal this year.

The royal mates volition question to Italy successful April and conscionable Pope Francis and Italian leaders, arsenic good arsenic transportation retired engagements successful Rome and the past metropolis of Ravenna, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

It is expected to coincide with the King and Queen's 20th wedding day connected 9 April.

Tucci - who presented Searching For Italy, a BBC programme celebrating Italian nutrient and civilization - volition marque a code astatine an lawsuit astatine the royals' Highgrove property successful Gloucestershire.

The Palace's confirmation of the authorities sojourn to Italy suggests the King is good capable for an overseas journey, arsenic helium continues with his crab treatment.

Tucci - an American of Italian descent starred successful the Oscar-nominated Vatican thriller Conclave and has spoken astir his experiences of pharynx cancer, which helium said adversely affected his consciousness of taste.

The Italian-inspired evening astatine Highgrove volition besides beryllium attended by the Italian ambassador to the UK, Inigo Lambertini.

Chef Francesco Mazzei volition usage section ingredients to navigator an Italian menu, with the dishes reflecting the "slow food" benignant of cooking, which advocates fresh, determination dishes cooked successful accepted ways.

Mixologist Alessandro Palazzi volition beryllium connected manus to marque drinks utilizing Italian flavours and herbs grown astatine Highgrove.

The King - an enthusiast for art, civilization and religion - has been a regular visitant to Italy, with this upcoming travel to beryllium his 18th authoritative visit.

State visits are carried retired connected behalf of the Foreign Office and determination are apt to beryllium meetings with elder Italian authorities figures - an effort to physique relations with an important European spouse - though afloat details of the itinerary are inactive to beryllium revealed.

While there, the King and Queen whitethorn observe 20 years since their wedding successful April 2005.

The date of the ceremonial had to beryllium changed due to the fact that of the decease of Pope John Paul II, with the past Prince Charles travelling to Rome to be the funeral.

The sojourn to conscionable Pope Francis besides coincides with 2025 being a peculiar "jubilee" twelvemonth for the Catholic church, held each 25 years.

The King and Queen volition articulation the Pope for the celebrations arsenic "Pilgrims of Hope", according to the Palace.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the Pope connected the past specified jubilee twelvemonth successful 2000.

The King has met Pope Francis connected erstwhile occasions, including astatine the Vatican successful 2019 erstwhile the English-born Cardinal John Henry Newman was canonised arsenic a saint.

This volition beryllium the archetypal clip they person met since Charles became monarch and ultimate politician of the Church of England.