Inside King Charles and Queen Camilla’s lavish romantic plans for 20th wedding anniversary
The King and Queen will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Rome at a glamorous state banquet, hosted by Italy’s president.
Charles and Camilla will be kicking off their four-day state visit to Italy on Monday ahead of their wedding anniversary on Wednesday.
On the evening of their anniversary, the royals will be guests of honour at the banquet, hosted by president Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale, a former Italian palace.
The visit comes just weeks after the King, 76, experienced side effects from his cancer treatment and was taken to hospital for ‘a short period of observation’.
The incident meant Charles had to cancel an away day to Birmingham.
A royal source later described the hospital visit as the ‘most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction’.
The King and Queen were also set to visit Pope Francis in the Vatican, but had to postpone the trip as he is still recovering from a battle with pneumonia.
The Pope received medical advice saying he would ‘benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation’, a statement from Buckingham Palace said.
‘Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered,’ the statement added.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s love story
When Charles was the Prince of Wales, he married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9, 2005.
Camilla was 23 when she met 22-year-old Charles during a polo match at the Windsor Great Park in 1970.
However, the two became distanced after Charles served in the Royal Navyfor eight months.
When he returned, Camilla was already engaged to British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.
They were married in 1973 and had two children together, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, before getting divorced in 1995.
Meanwhile, Charles married Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1981.
They separated in 1992 before divorcing officially in 1996 – a year before Diana passed away in 1997.
Charles and Camilla made their relationship public and got married in 2005.
At their wedding reception, Queen Elizabeth II said: ‘They have overcome Becher’s Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles.
‘They have come through and I’m very proud and wish them well.
‘My son is home and dry with the woman he loves.’
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