On a landmark visit to Rome, King Charles emphasized the enduring bond between Britain and Italy, calling for unity and peace amid ongoing conflict in Europe.
King Charles underlined the importance of strong ties between Italy and Britain at a time of war in Europe as he delivered a historic speech to the Italian Parliament on Wednesday.
Charles, on the third day of his state visit to Italy with Queen Camilla, became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Parliament in Rome, switching between English and Italian and drawing warm applause from lawmakers.
"Peace is never to be taken for granted," he said.
"Britain and Italy stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share. Our countries have both stood by Ukraine in her hour of need, and welcomed many thousands of Ukrainians requiring shelter," he added.
The king praised Anglo-Italian plans to develop with Japan a new fighter jet as part of the Global Combat Air Programme initiative.
Britain quit the European Union in 2020 and the royal visit is seen as part of an ongoing effort by London to engage with its old EU allies and ease the pain of the Brexit divorce.
Charles and Camilla were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and will spend the evening at a state banquet hosted by President Sergio Mattarella at his Quirinale residence.
For the visit to parliament, Camilla wore a repurposed version of her original wedding outfit in ivory silk by designer Anna Valentine.
Lower house speaker Lorenzo Fontana mentioned the anniversary in his introductory remarks, prompting more clapping from the chamber in the Montecitorio building.
Charles earlier met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the city's Villa Doria Pamphili, enjoying a walk in the garden of a building that dates from the 17th century.
The king, who is 76, is on his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.
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Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to finalise lists of people who could be released, Russia's state news agency TASS said Wednesday.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has formally sent a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, opening a new phase in a deal that has already sparked debate over nuclear proliferation and Riyadh's ambitions.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
The United States has launched what it describes as its most aggressive sanctions campaign yet against Iran, expanding secondary sanctions and targeting sectors ranging from shipping and aviation to technology and finance.
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