King Charles III and Queen Camilla met
Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in
Rome on Tuesday to start their State visit of Italy in earnest.
The British royals were greeted with full military honours after
being escorted to the palace by 32 members of the president's
Cuirassiers cavalry regiment.
Charles and Camilla, who arrived in Rome on Monday, will also
meet Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday.
On Wednesday Charles will become the first British monarch to
address a joint session of Italy's Parliament.
The royals will not see Pope Francis as part of their official
visit, as originally planned.
Buckingham Palace said last month that it had been decided by
mutual agreement to postpone the meeting following the needs
related to the convalescence of the pontiff.
Francis, 88, left hospital on March 23 after 38 days fighting
pneumonia and doctors said he faced a convalescence of at least
two months.
On Thursday the British royals will be in Ravenna to pay homage
to Dante's Tomb and attend a reception marking the 80th
anniversary of the province's liberation from Nazi occupation by
Allied Forces.
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