The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Waleses’ trip to Italy unlikely to include meeting with the Pope
By Camilla Tominey and Hannah Furness
THE Prince and Princess of Wales are to make their first official trip to Italy, but are unlikely to meet the Pope, according to reports.
They are expected to undertake a short tour of Italy early next year during which they plan to visit Rome.
They will be travelling on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), representing the UK as part of a programme designed to bolster the relationship between the two countries.
It 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 the death of Elizabeth II. It is likely to include meetings and state events that reflect their senior roles.
The trip has not 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 unlikely.
A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: “We look forward to announcing the Prince and Princess’s 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 their challenging trip to the Caribbean in March 2022.
They have since travelled together to Boston, US, for the Earthshot Prize ceremony in November 2022, and to the Jordanian Royal wedding and rugby World Cup in France this year. Those public engagements, however, were not undertaken on behalf of the FCDO so they were able to arrange their own schedules. The Prince has also visited Poland, New York, Singapore and Kuwait on his own this year.
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 and a succession of Italy’s presidents and visited its key cultural sites.
The then 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 EU-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
Couple’s first official visit since Elizabeth II’s death aims to strengthen ties between the two countries
he and Prince Harry, who was 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 to Rome 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 so the trip is likely to embrace the love of art with visits to the country’s extraordinary buildings, galleries, museums and architecture.
The trip comes after Rishi Sunak developed a close relationship with Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister.
The two leaders discussed how to tackle the growing problem of illegal immigration – and they hope to work together on the issue in the coming months.
‘Any proposed visit to the Vatican would have to be arranged many months in advance’