By KBC Associate :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(728x165:730x167)/king-charles-queen-camilla-02-040725-ab6eaf418f604bbaa6f7893f28ffc4f9.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "King Charles and Queen Camilla Star in New Photos for 20th Anniversary")
King Charles and Queen Camilla‘s state visit to Italy kicked off with a special photo shoot to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.
The royal couple will celebrate the milestone on April 9 during their trip abroad, and two new images were released on April 7 to mark the occasion. The new snaps, taken on their first day in Italy, were shot at Villa Wolkonsky in Rome next to the Neronian spur of the Aqua Claudia, an ancient Roman aqueduct, by photographer Chris Jackson.
The outdoor photos show the couple smiling, with Camilla wearing a white and beige coat dress by Anna Valentine and a lily of the valley brooch.
King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 76, also shared a personal message along with the new pictures. They said, “As we begin our first visit to Italy as King and Queen, we are so looking forward to celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary in such a special place – and with such wonderful people! A presto, Roma e Ravenna!”
They signed the note as “Charles R.” (with the initial standing for the Latin word for king, “rex”) & “Camilla R.” (standing for “regina,” which is “queen” in Latin).
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Buckingham Palace
King Charles and Queen Camilla, who faced public scrutiny after it was revealed they had an affair during Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana, wed in 2005.
They had a civil ceremony near Windsor Castle (but outside the royal residence’s grounds) with just 28 guests (including the King’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Camilla’s children from her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes).
Charles’ parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, did not attend the wedding ceremony itself — as the head of the Church of England at the time, the Queen decided that it was not appropriate for her to be at the wedding of two people who had divorced their previous partners. However, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were present for the Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle afterward and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle.
Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty
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The couple will spend their 20th anniversary on Wednesday at a glam state banquet held at the Quirinale Palace.
King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down at Rome’s Ciampino airport earlier on Monday, receiving a royal welcome to their trip with a red carpet. In addition, the Royal Standard and the Italian flag were displayed out the window of the cockpit after landing.
Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty
Originally, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to Italy was set to include a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. However, the audience with the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church was canceled due to the Pope’s recent illness.
While events were shuffled around to fit a new schedule, the royals will also be about to pace themselves following the monarch’s recent health setback. On March 27, the King was briefly hospitalized due to the side effects of his cancer treatment, leading to him postponing scheduled engagements for the following day.
One royal source described the hospitalization as “the most minor bump in the road that’s very much heading in the right direction.”
King Charles returned to royal duties last week, including hosting an investiture ceremony and attending a reception at Windsor Castle.