It’s the staple of many a breakfast table and now it comes in a very royal version. The King and Queen have brought back regal jars of a popular sweet spread and it might just move marmalade off the Palace menu.
During their State Visit to Italy, King Charles and Queen Camilla were given personalised pots of Nutella by the country’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The tubs of chocolate spread, made by food giant Ferrero, were presented to The King when he met Ms Meloni at the Villa Doria Pamphilj for an official audience during the State Visit.
It’s customary to exchange gifts during such meetings. King Charles likes to stick to tradition and often brings a signed photo of himself in a rather nice frame. Giorgia Meloni decided to mix things up a bit and show off one of her country’s most famous food products. Enter the Nutella.
(Royal Family Instagram still/ fair use)
The spread was invented in the middle of the 20th century and is so famous that it’s even been featured on stamps produced by Italy’s postal service. It began life as a solid block based on gianduja, a mix of chocolate and hazelnut, and proved so popular that its creators, the Ferrero family, modified it into a softer version sold in jars that was on sale throughout Europe by 1964.
It’s understood that the royal versions came in jars with The King and Queen’s names written on them in gold.
It was an appropriate pick for the State Visit which had a focus on food production with King Charles trying out balsamic vinegar and Queen Camilla making pasta during a stop in Ravenna. It was also a good chance for Giorgia Meloni to showcase one of Italy’s biggest businesses – Ferrero is the second biggest manufacturer of branded chocolate in the world.
Whether The King and Queen have started on their presents yet isn’t known but it might be time to move the marmalade off the Palace breakfast table.
