A toast in Italian by King Charles III "to the eternal Italian culture of good food" crowned this evening the gala dinner in honour of Italy offered by the British sovereign and Queen Camilla at their country residence in Highgrove, Gloucestershire, the day after the official announcement of the state visit that the royal couple will make to Italy and the Vatican in April: a visit that will include stops in Rome and Ravenna and during which Charles and Camilla - in addition to being received by Pope Francis for the Jubilee and meeting with the heads of Italian institutions - will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of their marriage.
The evening at Highgrove, in the presence of the ambassador
of Italy in London, Inigo Lambertini, and his wife Maria
Grazia, was dedicated to the celebration of Slow Food and
of Slow Fashion; and lined up an uncommon parterre of
personalities and celebrities. Starting with the actor
italian-American actor and gastronomy enthusiast Stanley
Tucci, who collaborated in the preparation of the dinner with
Francesco Mazzei, a Calabrian chef of great name in the Kingdom. Among the
guests included Donatella Versace, husband and wife David and Victoria
Beckham, Dame Helen Mirren (British and
international who divides her time between London and the masseria
purchased long ago in Apulia), the former editor of Vogue Uk
Edward Enninful and big names from the star-studded culinary scene
such as Raymond Blanc and Angela Hartnett. As well as
members of the Kingdom's vast Italian community, entrepreneurs
and professionals involved in various fronts of
british-Italian cooperation, from Emma Marcegaglia to architect Stefano
Boeri.
Images from the British media showed the king in good spirits and apparently in excellent shape, confirming his ongoing recovery after last year's cancer diagnosis; while Queen Camilla. at ease among the guests, also sported smiles and a dress in blue tones by fashion designer Fiona Clare.
In his farewell speech, Charles III extolled the
meaning of "a splendid evening that unites two of the things
dearest to my heart, slow food and Italy'. Then
he passionately wove the eulogy of the Peninsula. Not without
not without also performing himself, on the sidelines of the dinner, in the
preparation of a Martini-based cocktail under the eyes of
Stanley Tucci and with Alessandro Palazzi at his side: a bartender of renown in
London.
The evening's menu, which played on the contamination between Italian-inspired gourmet dishes and British ingredients, included panzanella with Scottish crab, ravioli filled with ricotta and herbs from Highgrove, a puree of tomatoes grown on the Isle of Wight, suffolk pork and, of course, a classic zuppa inglese for dessert. All washed down with fine Italian wines, as well as a sparkling wine produced on the King's own estate in
Gloucestershire.
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