UK royals visit Colosseum, Roman Forum
Charles, who is paying his 18th official visit to Italy, is on his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.
The British Red Arrows and Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatic teams staged a rare joint flypast to mark the event, with Charles and Camilla watching the display alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace.
'It is important to have good relations with European countries,' said British tourist Jonathan Smith as he showed a picture on his telephone of the planes sweeping over the heart of Rome, multi-coloured smoke flowing behind them.
Britain quit the European Union in 2020 and the royal visit is seen as part of an ongoing effort by London to ease the pain of the Brexit divorce with its old EU allies.
'I think it is great for the Anglo-Italian relationship, particularly given the current climate around the world,' said British tourist John Forde near the Colosseum, when asked about the royal visit.
A group of children waved British flags as the royal couple walked towards the forum, from where they could enjoy a view of the Colosseum from a terrace.
Alberto Angela, a well-known Italian television personality and host of science and history shows, guided the king and queen during their brief visit to the forum, which served as the political, religious and commercial heart of ancient Rome.
'This is a place of big history... and having the queen and the king coming here makes sense,' Angela told reporters after the royals left.
During their first full day in Rome, the king and queen also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Charles is due to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday and then address a joint session of parliament -- the first British monarch to be given this honour.
Charles and Camilla also mark their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and they will spend the evening at a state banquet hosted by Mattarella at his Quirinale residence. US President Donald Trump's move to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from around the world, while simultaneously questioning Washington's military commitment to Europe, has underscored the need for old European partners to continue to work together.
Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
an hour ago
- Dubai Eye
UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reform
The British government said on Thursday it planned to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system. The government said the proposed changes were part of an effort to boost public trust in democracy and would align voting rights across Britain, where younger voters already participate in devolved elections in Scotland and Wales. "They're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes ... and I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News. The change will require parliamentary approval, but that is unlikely to present an obstacle because the policy was part of Starmer's election campaign last year which gave him a large majority. Despite that win, Starmer's popularity has fallen sharply in government after a series of missteps set against a difficult economic backdrop. His party sits second in most opinion polls behind Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK Party. A poll of 500 16 and 17 year-olds conducted by Merlin Strategy for ITV News showed 33 per cent said they would vote Labour, 20 per cent would vote Reform, 18 per cent would vote Green, 12 per cent Liberal Democrats and 10 per cent Conservative. There are about 1.6 million 16 and 17 year-olds in the UK, according to official data. Just over 48 million people were eligible to vote at the last election, in which turnout fell to its lowest since 2001. The next election is due in 2029. Research from other countries has shown lowering the voting age had no impact on election outcomes, but that 16-year-olds were more likely to vote than those first eligible at 18. "Voting at 16 will also help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education," said Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society. The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licences and Veteran Cards. A more automated system will also be introduced to simplify the process of registering to vote. To tackle foreign interference, the government plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds (AED2,460) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies. 'By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations,' democracy minister Rushanara Ali said in a statement.
Dubai Eye
2 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza, two die in church
Israeli forces killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in airstrikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. The Holy Family Church in Gaza spoke in a separate statement of "a number of injured, some in critical condition." In a telegram for the victims, Pope Leo said he was "deeply saddened" and called for "an immediate ceasefire." The pope expressed his "profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region," according to the telegram which was signed by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they were "aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under review." "The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them," the statement added. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the results of the investigation would be published. It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians. The Patriarchate earlier said the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, was among those injured, and his church had sustained damage. Father Romanelli, an Argentine, used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict via calls and messages. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the religious compound. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," she said in a statement.
ARN News Center
2 hours ago
- ARN News Center
UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reform
The British government said on Thursday it planned to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system. The government said the proposed changes were part of an effort to boost public trust in democracy and would align voting rights across Britain, where younger voters already participate in devolved elections in Scotland and Wales. "They're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes ... and I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News. The change will require parliamentary approval, but that is unlikely to present an obstacle because the policy was part of Starmer's election campaign last year which gave him a large majority. Despite that win, Starmer's popularity has fallen sharply in government after a series of missteps set against a difficult economic backdrop. His party sits second in most opinion polls behind Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK Party. A poll of 500 16 and 17 year-olds conducted by Merlin Strategy for ITV News showed 33 per cent said they would vote Labour, 20 per cent would vote Reform, 18 per cent would vote Green, 12 per cent Liberal Democrats and 10 per cent Conservative. There are about 1.6 million 16 and 17 year-olds in the UK, according to official data. Just over 48 million people were eligible to vote at the last election, in which turnout fell to its lowest since 2001. The next election is due in 2029. Research from other countries has shown lowering the voting age had no impact on election outcomes, but that 16-year-olds were more likely to vote than those first eligible at 18. "Voting at 16 will also help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education," said Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society. The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licences and Veteran Cards. A more automated system will also be introduced to simplify the process of registering to vote. To tackle foreign interference, the government plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds (AED2,460) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies. 'By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations,' democracy minister Rushanara Ali said in a statement.
