Felipe and Letizia of Spain now on an official visit to Italy: the first time for a king before the Houses of Parliament
Previous speeches by foreign dignitaries in the Chamber of Deputies include that of Pope John Paul II, on 14 November 2002, before the then President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and deputies and senators
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The Spanish royals are in Rome for their two-day state visit to Italy. It has been ten years since Felipe VI and Letizia's first official trip to Italy, celebrating 20 years of marriage this year. They are returning for a State visit to Rome and Naples, thus reciprocating that of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in 2021.
From the lunch with Meloni at Villa Doria Pamphili to the speech in front of the Chamber of Deputies
The couple was received in the morning at the Quirinale by the Head of State, then moved to the Casino del Bel Respiro at Villa Doria Pamphili for lunch offered by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In the afternoon, a ceremony is scheduled in the Chamber of Deputies' hall, before the assembled Chambers. Greetings will be given by Chamber President Lorenzo Fontana and Senate President Ignazio La Russa. The King of Spain will deliver a speech.
Italy-Spain Business Forum on Thursday 12, then Naples
In the evening, the gala dinner at the Quirinale Palace offered by Mattarella. On Thursday morning, 12 December, King Felipe VI will meet a representation of Italian and Spanish entrepreneurs and will inaugurate the Italy-Spain Business Forum. The State visit will end in Naples where King Felipe VI will receive an honorary doctorate from the Federico II University on the occasion of the eighth centenary of its foundation.
Mattarella: extraordinary relations between Italy and Spain
"His visit to Italy is also of great importance for the historical moment that the European Union and the international community are going through, but the solidity covers all aspects of the extraordinary relations that exist between Spain and Italy," said the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, receiving the Spanish royals at the Quirinale.
This is the first time for a 'king' before the assembled Houses
.A curiosity: according to sources close to the Ceremonial, today's is the first visit of a King and Queen before the House and Senate joined together (this is not a formal meeting of Parliament in joint session, but a solemn ceremony). As regards previous speeches by foreign authorities in the Chamber of Deputies, it is worth recalling what happened on 15 September 1982 on the occasion of the World Interparliamentary Conference when the President of the Chamber received PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who subsequently made a speech before the House. On 29 September 1998, at a formal sitting of the Chamber of Deputies, with an item expressly provided for on the agenda (Speech by H.M. King Carlos I of Spain), His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain made a speech, preceded by an address of greeting from the President of the Chamber. Also: on 14 November 2002, His Holiness John Paul II visited the Parliament of the Republic in common public session, with a solemn ceremony held in the Chamber of Deputies, in the presence of Members of Parliament (deputies and senators), during which the Pope made a speech. On 27 January 2010, in the presence also of the Head of State, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel delivered a speech in the Chamber's hall on the occasion of Remembrance Day, preceded by a speech by the Speaker of the Chamber. Finally, on 22 March 2022, a video conference meeting with the President of Ukraine Zelensky took place in the Chamber of Montecitorio in the presence of deputies and senators.
