Llewellyn

On Monday, the King and Queen met Lord Llewellyn, the UK's ambassador to Italy, at his residence for the first engagement of the trip.

Speaking about the visit, Lord Llewellyn said the alliance between the Italy and the UK was "vital in a changing Europe, as both our countries stand steadfast in our support of Ukraine".

The UK's ambassador to Italy, Lord Llewellyn, part of the welcoming party, said this was an "historic" moment and such visits had an "intangible but priceless" impact.

"This state visit comes at a key moment," said Lord Llewellyn, "as we reset our relations with our European partners".

There had already been reports of "royal fever" and the Italian public valued the King and Queen's enthusiasm for their history, culture and cooking, said Lord Llewellyn, speaking to reporters ahead of the visit.