Stanley Tucci to dine with King and Queen at state banquet ahead of Italy trip – live

The King and Queen are to pay state visits to Italy and the Vatican, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

The major spring tour, which has long been trailed in the media, will take place in early April and coincides with Charles and Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary.

They will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican and celebrate the Catholic Church’s Pilgrims of Hope jubilee year.

In Italy, the couple will visit Rome and the north-eastern city of Ravenna, known for its early Christian mosaic artwork.

Charles, 76, is forging ahead with regular overseas trips this year as he adapts to living with cancer.

The development emerged at the end of the King’s long-haul visit to Australia and Samoa, which was described as the “perfect tonic” for the monarch.

Charles and Camilla have invited Stanley Tucci to the King’s Gloucestershire estate to enjoy a feast of sustainable Slow Food tonight.

The menu has been created by renowned Italian chef Francesco Mazzei and inspired by Tucci, who fronted the TV series Tucci – The Heart Of Italy.

Created using entirely British ingredients blended with Italian culinary traditions and local flavours, the dishes aim to embody the principles of Slow Food.

Drinks will be prepared by Italian mixologist Alessandro Palazzi using Italian flavours and herbs from Charles’s beloved Highgrove Gardens.

The Slow Food initiative was launched in 1986 in the small Italian town of Bra when food writer Carlo Petrini took exception to the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna, leading to widespread national protests.

It promotes the right to good, clean and fair food for all, and strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine.

Charles has long been a champion of the Slow Food philosophy.

The Prince Of Wales has recited Blue Peter’s memorable “here’s one I made earlier” catchphrase while meeting winners of its Earthshot competition on the BBC children’s magazine show.

The competition invited children aged between five and 15 to come up with an idea to help save the planet in the same manner as the main Earthshot Prize, which was set up by the Prince Of Wales in 2020.

Five winners met the prince at Windsor Castle on the show where they presented their ideas, asked him questions about the environment and made eco-friendly bird feeders with him, before he then awarded the certificates.

On the show, presenter Joel Mawhinney showed his bird feeder to the camera once it was finished, but said it needed a bit of “touching up”, prompting him to ask for “some royal help”.

William replied, holding up the bird feeder he had made: “Joel, here’s one I made earlier.”

“If there’s anyone who can keep a secret, it’s a royal.”

That is the assumption Lord Ivar Mountbatten was met with after he arrived at a grand Scottish castle to play a game of lies and deception with a star-studded line up.

A direct descendent of Queen Victoria, fans can watch the British aristocrat try to beat the likes of real housewives, Selling Sunset stars and Zac Efron’s brother to win his share of the $250,000 (£200,000) prize pot.

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British veterans and serving personnel who were injured during service have departed for Canada ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games.

The seventh edition of the games, established by the Duke of Sussex in 2014, will begin in Vancouver on February 8.

The 62 competitors – all veterans and serving personnel who sustained life-changing injuries and illnesses while serving in the UK Armed Forces – left the country from Birmingham Airport on Thursday.

Team UK’s captain Steve “Hoops” Hooper, an RAF veteran diagnosed with PTSD from his experiences in Iraq before being medically discharged in 2021, said: “The pride the whole team feels representing their country is huge, this means so much to them.”

Prince Andrew School, the only secondary school on St Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the south Atlantic Ocean, says it is dropping its title to be free from “controversial ties”.

The island’s government said the school believed the change was a crucial step in ensuring its name embodied the values, aspirations, and identity of its students and the wider community.

“The school believes a neutral name will foster a positive and forward-thinking learning environment, free from contentious associations,” it said.

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Britain’s longest-serving monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II, will be honoured by Land Rover for her love of the iconic British motorcar in an exclusive exhibition across the pond.

Americans on the East Coast can catch a glimpse of a number of historic vehicles from the late Queen’s personal fleet and that of the British royal household.

After a successful 2024 tour across the US, one more stop has been marked on the map with royal fans able to check out a specialised collection of Elizabeth II’s own cars at ModaMiami in Florida in March.

The exhibition will showcase a specialised collection of five Series, Defender, and Range Rover models used by the late Queen during her 70-year reign.

The display will feature vehicles used by the Royal family, either in an official capacity or as part of the household fleet.

The Duke of Edinburgh told new Gurkha recruits to be proud of being a “soldier in the British army but a son of Nepal” as he attended their attestation ceremony.

Edward and his wife Sophie met the two per cent of young Nepalis who passed the gruelling and highly competitive selection process to become part of the elite Brigade of Gurkhas.

The duke and duchess looked on as the 274 recruits – selected from more than 13,000 applicants – took the oath of allegiance, saluting a portrait of the King and touching the Union flag.

In a speech at the Gurkha base in Pokhara, Edward said: “Thank you for choosing to serve in the Brigade of Gurkhas in the British Army, and thank you for swearing allegiance to His Majesty today.

“You are joining a regimental family with strong traditions and a reputation for loyalty, service and courage.

“Gurkhas have served the crown for over 209 years. This now becomes your heritage and your responsibility to uphold.”

The King and Queen have invited Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci for dinner at Highgrove this evening.

The Italian-American actor and author is best known for his roles in the hit films Devil Wears Prada, Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games and Conclave.

He has earned numerous accolades, including six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Tony Award.