King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will undertake a state visit to Italy in early December, the latest European royals to announce their return to pre-pandemic engagements.
The Belgian Royal House announced that King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have been invited to visit Italy at the request of Italian President Sergio Mattarella from 1-3 December.
The Belgian royals will be accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister-Presidents of the Communities and Regions, and Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will undertake engagements in Rome and Milan during their State Visit. Among the preliminary agenda items, the royals will meet with top Italian government officials, visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and be welcomed at the Quirinal Palace.
On the first evening, the royals will attend a state banquet at the Quirinal Palace. The following evening they will host a return reception entitled Rosas “Verklärte Nacht.”
The second day of their State Visit will see King Philippe and Queen Mathilde undertaking engagements in Rome, including a visit to the Academia Belgica. On the third and final day, they will undertake engagements in Milan.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will undertake engagements relating to business, fashion, the economy, and sustainability in Milan before departing that evening for Belgium.
This State Visit to Italy will be the first undertaken by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde since their State Visit to Luxembourg in late 2019. The Belgian royals are the latest to announce their return to State Visits. In November alone, the monarchs of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands will be involved in State Visits, marking a return to activity following the height of the pandemic.
