King Charles III resumes duties following health scare with visit to Italy

Monday 07 April 2025 - 09:00

By: Zahouani Ilham

King Charles III resumes duties following health scare with visit to Italy

King Charles III, 76, has begun a trip to Italy just ten days after a health scare that led him to be hospitalized due to temporary side effects from cancer treatment. According to royal sources, the King is eager to continue with his scheduled visit, which also coincides with the 20th anniversary of his marriage to Queen Camilla.

Initially, Charles had planned to meet Pope Francis, but the 88-year-old Pope is still recovering from pneumonia and will need several months to convalesce. As a result, Charles has adjusted his plans and is instead focusing on his engagements in Rome, where he will spread out his activities over two days.

During his visit, the royal couple will tour the Colosseum Archaeological Park and meet Italy’s political leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. Charles is also scheduled to become the first British monarch to address a joint sitting of the Italian Parliament.

The King and Queen will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, with a state banquet in Rome. Their wedding in 2005 followed a long relationship, and their anniversary marks an important personal milestone for the couple.

The trip was briefly in question after Charles was hospitalized on March 27, but it was clarified that his stay was due to a minor issue related to his ongoing cancer treatment. He resumed official duties shortly after.

In addition to their time in Rome, the royal couple will visit Ravenna in northern Italy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the region’s liberation from Nazi occupation in 1945. This visit further strengthens the longstanding relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom.