The King and Queen were joined by Victoria and David Beckham, Donatella Versace, and actress Dame Helen Mirren, for a black tie celebration of Italian food ahead of the Royal couple’s state visit to Italy and the Vatican.
Italian-American Devil Wears Prada actor and well-known foodie, Stanley Tucci and the Italian ambassador to the UK, Inigo Lambertini, were also among those invited to Highgrove to enjoy a feast of sustainable Slow Food.
Other guests included Tucci’s wife Felicity Blunt – sister of actress Emily Blunt former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, businessman and TV personality Patrick Grant and chefs Raymond Blanc and Angela Hartnett.
The King and Queen were seen chatting to the Beckhams and Dame Helen Mirren.
James Bond-inspired drinks were prepared by Italian mixologist Alessandro Palazzi using Italian flavours and herbs from Charles’s beloved Highgrove Gardens.
Charles, accompanied by Tucci, made a martini under the careful supervision the Italian mixologist and declared it “great”.
Mr Palazzi, when asked about the King’s martini making technique, replied: “He was good.”
The King made a speech to his guests as they sat down to dinner, starting and ending his toast speaking Italian, to which the room cheered and clapped.
He said: “Buonasera e un caloroso benvenuto a Highgrove.” [Good evening and a warm welcome to Highgrove]
“It is a great joy for my wife and I to welcome you all to Highgrove and, above all, to be able to offer our warmest gratitude to Ambassador Lambertini, to Stanley Tucci, and to chef Francesco Mazzei for their combined efforts to arrange such a special Italian occasion – I can only hope they are still talking to each other at the end of it all!”
He added: “Let me propose a toast: to Italy’s timeless food culture, so loved here in the United Kingdom and across the world.”
The menu was 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.
On the reception menu was rare and pasture salumi, Tuscan style pate and coppa, Yorkshire pecorino cheese puffs and British vegetables caponata tartelletta.
The dinner menu included Scottish crab panzanella, Westcombe ricotta and Highgrove fine herbs ravioli, Isle of Wight tomato passata, Suffolk red porchetta, pumpkin and sage mash, Tuscan kale and zuppa inglese and biscotti.
Mr Mazzei said: “This is my first time cooking for the King. I’m quite excited about that. It is an Italian menu with British produce, well 99% as the extra virgin olive oil is Italian.”
“I am really happy to be able to create this menu. If they enjoy it – I don’t know – but I tried my best,” he added.
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 event also promoted Slow Fashion, with the King and Queen meeting King’s Foundation’s students and being shown garments demonstrating their sustainable fashion and heritage skills.
The Slow Fashion movement encourages people to buy fewer, higher-quality items which last longer.
The event comes as Buckingham Palace confirmed the royal couple will embark on a state tour to Italy early April, coinciding with Charles and Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary.
During the visit, they will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican and celebrate the Catholic Church’s Pilgrims of Hope jubilee year, as well as visiting Rome and the north-eastern city of Ravenna, known for its early Christian mosaic artwork.
