King Charles III addresses the Italian Parliament in Rome

Wednesday 9th April, 2025

“Let me also record our profound gratitude to the many hundreds of brave Italian civilians who gave refuge to British and Allied soldiers, thereby risking their own lives.”

In 2023 I was privileged to attend the 80th Anniversary of the Italian Armistice which had resulted in a number of P.O.W. camps in Italy releasing their prisoners into what was still then German occupied Italy. This event took place in Servigliano and the Monte San Martino Trust, so ably headed by Sir Nick Young, played host to the celebrations at P.G. 59 which was attended by The Rt Hon Edward Llewellyn, O.B.E., British Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, as well as many Italian dignitaries and relatives of those who had been prisoners during World War II.

In referencing the bravery of the Italian people who helped Allied soldiers like my father, Andre Willis, after they were released into the Italian countryside after the Armistice in September 1943, King Charles said – “Tomorrow in Ravenna, as King of the United Kingdom and of Canada, I will have the great honour of commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of that province, together with President Mattarella, in which British and Canadian Forces played a key role. And, as Head of the Commonwealth, it will be my signal privilege to recall the indispensable role played by many troops from the Commonwealth, as well as other Allied nations.

“And we remember, too, the terrible suffering of the Italian civilian population – as well as the heroism of the resistance, including Paola Del Din, trained by the Special Operations Executive and dropped by parachute to carry out her mission in support of the Allies eighty years ago today.”

Charles continued: “I know that we are all thinking of Paola, now 101, on this day – and salute her courage. Let me also record our profound gratitude to the many hundreds of brave Italian civilians who gave refuge to British and Allied soldiers, thereby risking their own lives. Today, sadly, the echoes of those times – which we fervently hoped had been consigned to history – reverberate across our continent. Our younger generations can now see in the news every day on their smartphones and tablets that peace is never to be taken for granted.”