As Queen Camilla and King Charles recently celebrated their 20th anniversary, she stated that friendship, laughing, and “getting on with life” were the keys to their marriage. The busy royal couple was in Rome for a State visit, and Camilla stated that they would commemorate the event once they returned home.
It came as the King and Queen held a private 30-minute audience with the Pope, who is recovering after spending weeks in the hospital due to illness. He wished them both happy anniversaries. The Queen stated that she had prepared an anniversary gift for her husband out of porcelain, as is customary for the occasion.
And she said: “Twenty years, who could believe it was 20 years? What is the secret? I don’t know. I suppose it’s just a sort of friendship. “Laughing at the same things, getting on with life. I suppose doing this takes up most of the time.”
King Charles & Camilla’s ’50-year love story’ involves separate bedrooms & homes https://t.co/2f0EVjglvx pic.twitter.com/rRZPx5GJse
— celebitchy (@celebitchy) April 10, 2025
When asked if the best present was for the King to slow down, she said: “Dream on! Dream on!” The Queen commemorated their marital milestone by wearing her iconic 2005 wedding gown to the Italian parliament, where the King received a standing ovation after describing the anniversary as a great day.
The pair had a hectic four-day State visit, however they had a few hours yesterday afternoon to unwind and relax at their home, Villa Wolkonsky. Camilla added: “We are always going in different directions, like ships that pass in the night. We whizz past each other. We have got a bit of a catch-up this afternoon.” She said of their celebration: “No, we are going to do that when we get back. We are going to save that.
“Otherwise you can’t really, you have to rush it. You don’t have time to say anything. I think we might dig into our pockets and pull something out at the end of the day. I have got something — it’s China.”
The pair attended six engagements, including a State banquet with President Sergio Mattarella and a meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Speaking at the plush dinner, Charles joked: “I must say it really is very good of you, Mr President, to lay on this small romantic, candle-lit dinner for two.”
The King began his engagements by greeting Ms Meloni with a ceremonial guard at Villa Doria and walking through the gardens.
Meanwhile, the Queen was presented with Margherita pizza and a cake outside the Istituto Comprensivo Alessandro Manzoni, where students had participated in a competition commemorating the British Council’s 80th anniversary.
The Enduring Love of King Charles & Queen Camilla
King Charles & Queen Camilla’s love story is a testament to the power of perseverance & the enduring nature of true love. Despite facing many challenges over the years, their love for each other has never wavered.
Their… pic.twitter.com/mlc7uxFTGt
— 🎩Laird of the Manor🎩 (@LairdOfTheManor) October 16, 2023
Camilla’s family owned a property in Florence, and she remembered visiting as a child and traveling to Naples and Ischia, saying: “I’ve always loved it here.” On spending her anniversary in Italy, she added: “You come to Italy and you feel better. They are so friendly. Everybody is so lovely. You’ve got the food, the weather, there’s something in the air. Everything tastes better here. Why is it tomatoes, why is it pasta, tastes better? You take it back to England, and it doesn’t taste the same.”
Asked if she had time to catch up with Charles after their busy work schedule in Italy, Camilla said: “Well, yes, we do. We have time over dinner to do a bit of catching up. “It would be very nice if we got a day off and went somewhere, but that was not going to happen!”
