The China Mail - King Charles addresses Italian parliament, greets pope on visit to Rome

King Charles and Queen Camilla met with 88-year-old Francis, who has been recuperating from pneumonia at the Vatican after being released last month from hospital, on their 20th wedding anniversary -- a day packed with visits, handshakes, and a historic address to parliament.

"Their majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them -- and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person," said a Buckingham Palace statement.

The king's speech was the first by a UK monarch to a joint session of Italy's two legislative chambers, and came on the third day of the couple's four-day state visit to Italy.

Speaking in Italian and English, the 76-year-old monarch eulogised Italy as a place "very dear to my heart", having made 18 official visits in over 40 years.

Citing Virgil, Dante, and Italy's unification hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, he called it "one of the pleasures of my life to come to know this irresistable country", as he addressed parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies.

Although Britain had many differences with Italy, their shared values were seen in countless courageous acts during World War Two, he said.

Charles cited the tens of thousands of Commonwealth soldiers who died during the liberation of Italy from the Nazis eight decades ago, noting that Italian civilians had risked their lives to help them.

"Today, sadly, the echoes of those times -- which we fervently hoped had been consigned to history -- reverberate across our continent," he added.

"Our younger generations can now see in the news every day on their smartphones and tablets that peace is never to be taken for granted."

Noting the two countries' support for Ukraine, he said both Italy and Britain "stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share".

On the environment, a personal passion, he noted that "from the droughts in Sicily to the floods in Somerset, both our countries are already seeing the ever more damaging effects of climate change."

On a lighter note, Charles elicited laughter when he reminded lawmakers that Garibaldi had a British biscuit named after him -- "the ultimate mark of British esteem".

- 'How impressive is a king?' -

Earlier, Charles had a short private meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Italy's hard-right government, at the historic Villa Doria Pamphili.

The king was then whisked in his Bentley to Rome's working-class neighbourhood of Testaccio, where its converted slaughterhouses now hold cultural events, meeting with drama students who performed a portion of Shakespeare's "Othello" in Italian.

A few dozen curious residents milled about outside, but most appeared nonplussed, such as Carlotta, a 70-year-old woman who declined to give her last name.

"I don't give a damn about the king but they’ve spent three days cleaning the neighbourhood, scrubbing the pavements, clearing up dog poo, so he can come every week if he likes," she told AFP.

Another woman, 66-year-old Ninetta, quipped: "Rome has seen emperors, how impressive is a king? I couldn't care less."

- Ice-cream and handshakes -

Queen Camilla visited school children learning English, and was presented with a pizza Margherita -- named in the 19th century for another queen, Margherita of Savoy.

A stunned delivery woman, Federica Viola, said it was "surreal" when she arrived and saw the queen.

"They ordered a pizza and I didn't understand why, then I figured it out," she said, calling it a "huge emotion".

The queen later accompanied King Charles to parliament, after which they walked to nearby Giolitti, one of the city's most famous cafes, for a gelato.

Tourist Georgina Wilson, 45, from East Yorkshire, managed to shake hands with the couple.

"We only came to get an ice-cream, then ended up shaking hands with a king and queen! What a holiday!" she enthused.

The royals', which included a visit to the Colosseum on Tuesday and on Thursday sees them heading north to Ravenna, comes less than a fortnight after Charles' latest health scare.

Italy's President Sergio Mattarella held a state banquet in the royal couple's honour Wednesday evening. During his toast, Charles joked that Mattarella had organised a "small romantic, candle-lit dinner for two" for the couple.

O.Yip--ThChM