King Charles III, Queen Camilla celebrate 20th wedding anniversary in new photos

Royal duties call, but King Charles III and Queen Camilla always have time for romance.

The British monarch and his longtime partner, who celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, marked the sentimental milestone on Monday with a pair of portraits shared on social media. The photos, taken at Villa Wolkonsky in Rome, come amid the couple’s four-day state visit to Italy, during which Charles is expected to address the Italian parliament.

The first portrait shows Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, posing arm in arm in a lush outdoor area. In the second image, Charles can be seen gazing lovingly at the queen consort while they sit on a concrete ledge.

“As we begin our first visit to Italy as King and Queen, we are so looking forward to celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary in such a special place – and with such wonderful people!”, the couple captioned the photos on Instagram. “A presto, Roma e Ravenna!”

The engagement marks Charles’ 17th official visit to Italy and his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for an unspecified form of cancer. The king was briefly hospitalized in late March after experiencing side effects from his treatment.

Charles and Camilla will spend their anniversary meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, after which Charles will deliver a speech to parliament — the first British monarch in history to address a joint parliamentary session in Italy.

How did King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s romance begin?

Charles and Camilla met in 1970 and despite their connection, a marital relationship didn’t materialize at the time due to Camilla’s less-than-royal credentials. The queen consort, formerly Camilla Shand, lacked an aristocratic bloodline and wasn’t viewed as “virginal” enough for a proper courtship and role as a royal wife.

Although they moved on to other romantic interests (Charles with Princess Diana and Camilla with Andrew Parker Bowles), the pair rekindled their affair in 1986 amid Charles’ failing marriage to Diana.

Public sentiment toward Camilla soured over time, in large part because the late Princess of Wales blamed Camilla for the breakup of her marriage to Charles.

Royal scandal notwithstanding, Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005, eight years after Diana died in a Paris car crash. Camilla took the title Duchess of Cornwall at time and later transitioned to the Queen Consort after Charles was crowned king in 2023.

Take a look at their love story over the years.

King Charles III: British monarch makes first statement since recent hospitalization