TOTALLY UNEXPECTED! THE NEW ROYAL VISIT OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES ABROAD
Whilst 2023 is not yet over, word is already out about those visits by the Prince and Princess of Wales that are planned for 2024.
William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are expected to visit the capital of Italy next spring as part of their royal tour.
It will be the royal couple’s “high profile” visit to Rome as part of their royal tour next year.
Kensington Palace has yet to officially announce the trip, but media reports have said that talks about the royals’ plans for next year are being held at the “highest level”.
The trip to Rome could also include Prince William and Princess Catherine meeting 87-year-old Pope Francis. However, it is not yet known exactly because nothing has been confirmed yet, especially as the Pope’s health continues to deteriorate. Concerns around the Pope’s health are growing. He suddenly cancelled his previously scheduled appearance in Dubai.
Although Kensington Palace is still not fully disclosing all of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ plans for 2024, however, royal family officials have said that details will be announced soon.
This is Their Royal Highnesses’ first working visit to Italy. In honour of this, Rome will also mark the couple’s first inaugural appearance as Prince and Princess of Wales on behalf of the government.
The couple travelled to Boston late last year as part of the Prince William Earthshot Prize. The trip was a personal initiative.
Italy continues to show great interest in the British royal family and it is likely that the couple will be warmly welcomed in that country.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have visited Rome twice in the past few years, even before His Majesty’s current reign.
Prince and Princess of Wales to make first official Italy trip – but they’re unlikely to meet the Pope
Trip will be the first time they have been hosted by Rome as senior royals and their first joint official visit since Elizabeth II died
The Prince and Princess of Wales are to make their first official trip to Italy, but are unlikely to meet the Pope, The Telegraph understands.
They are set to undertake a short tour of Italy in early 2024, planning to see the sights of Rome.
They will be travelling on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, representing the UK with a programme designed to further the relationship between the two countries.
The trip will be the first time they have been hosted by Italy in their capacity as senior members of the Royal family, and their first joint official visit since Elizabeth II died. It is likely to include meetings and state events.
The trip has not yet been confirmed and is in the early planning stages, but it is understood a visit to the Vatican, which would ordinarily be arranged long in advance to take account of the Pope’s carefully managed schedule, is not likely.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: “We look forward to announcing the Prince and Princess’ travel plans in due course.”
It will mark a return to official joint tours for the couple, who have not represented the UK together overseas since a challenging trip to the Caribbean in March 2022.
They have since travelled together to Boston for the Earthshot Prize in November 2022, and to the Jordanian royal wedding and Rugby World Cup in France this year. While these were public engagements, the couple were not travelling on behalf of the FDCO and could therefore arrange their own programmes of events.
The Prince has visited Poland, New York, Singapore and Kuwait solo in 2023.
The couple will be following in the footsteps of Prince William’s father and grandmother.
Queen Elizabeth made five trips to Italy, her first when she was a newlywed Princess and the last in 2014. She regularly met the Pope as well as a succession of presidents, and visit key cultural sites.
The King and Queen, then known as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, last visited in 2017 when they spent six days in Florence, Rome, Naples and the Vatican as part of a so-called “Brexit tour” to smooth European-UK relations.
They had a cordial meeting with Pope Francis, delivering home-grown produce from Highgrove as gifts. As they left a private audience, the Pope was heard to tell Prince Charles: “Wherever you go, may you be a man of peace.”
“I’ll do my best,” he replied.
In 1985, Prince William, then three years old, was photographed on the Royal Yacht Britannia in Venice when he and Prince Harry, who was just a baby, joined their parents at the end of a 17-day official visit.
In 1991, the family also took what was characterised as a “second honeymoon” off the coast of Naples.
In 2009, Prince William flew over in an official capacity for the Uefa Champions League final.
The Princess studied art in Florence during her gap year, and the couple are believed to have made private trips to the country.
As well as a speech and bilateral meetings, the trip to Italy is likely to embrace the Princess’s expertise in history of art to show off the country’s galleries, museums and architecture.
A visit to Italy would not be complete without finding a way to sample the food and wine.
In previous visits from the late Queen and Prince Philip, it was rumoured that chefs were discouraged from serving spaghetti and tomato sauce, for fear of causing a mess in front of the world’s cameras.
The trip comes after Rishi Sunak developed a close relationship with Italy’s new prime minister Giorgia Meloni, particularly on immigration policy.
Last month she was the only G7 leader to attend the Prime Minister’s AI summit in London.
And last week he travelled to her country to attend a rally organised by her Brothers of Italy party.
The two held a meeting on how to tackle the growing problem of illegal immigration, and it is on this issue that the two leaders hope to work together in the coming months.
