Villa Wolkonsky reopened for a very significant Queen’s Birthday Party, sponsored by the newly appointed British Ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, after being closed to the public for three years owing to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Following the celebrations in Naples on Tuesday, 2,000 visitors and friends of Her Majesty’s Embassy in Italy, including many Britons and members of the international community, gathered at Villa Wolkonsky, a British-style villa flanked by a Roman aqueduct and stunning gardens.
The occasion was one-of-a-kind: it marked the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, making her the only monarch in British history to attain this milestone.
Ambassador Ed Llewellyn, who has been in Italy since late February, held an outstanding QBP, announcing and repeating his intention to further enhance the special relationships that bind the UK and Italy.
All under the flag of shared values between our two countries, to which Queen Elizabeth II has been a singular witness during her 70-year reign.
The event highlighted the Queen’s favorite vintage vehicles, which are emblems of British flair on four wheels, as well as a focus on British and Italian gastronomic excellence.
The Queen’s favorite vintage vehicles, emblems of British style on four wheels, were also on display: a 1952 Jaguar XType, a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental, and a 1934 Lagonda.
The all-new 100 percent electric Jaguar I Pace was also on show in the Villa Wolkonsky gardens as a symbol of sustainability and technical progress. Letizia, Cupcake, Icecream, and Sacher, four friendly corgis who are Her Majesty’s favorite dogs, joined guests in the magnificent gardens to make them feel at home.
A jazz band comprised of Italian and British musicians welcomed the guests, performing to the tunes of Her Majesty’s favorite performers as a symbol of musical camaraderie between Italy and the United Kingdom.
The rituals were supported by a British military band, the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh in red-and-black attire, and the ever-present bagpipers, who performed the moving Highland Cathedral.
In addition, an unprecedented “Beat the Retreat” – the retreat that marks the end of the workday for British troops – paid tribute to Her Majesty, who is also the head of the British Armed Forces, and to the values that the British Sovereign has always upheld and inspired at home and around the world.
The evening concluded with a magnificent projection on the Roman aqueduct of Her Majesty’s Coronation Day and first official visit to Italy in 1961, sung by the UK Diplo Choir, a choir formed by Embassy staff.
The Roma Tre Orchestra Ensemble performed a repertoire of opera arias set in the United Kingdom to accompany the projection. Sofia Calenza, soprano, performed arias by Bellini and Donizetti, accompanied by Valerio Iannini, Federico Morbidelli, Maria Teresa De Sanio, and Alessandro Guaitolini. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was honored with fireworks at the end of the show.
The Rome QBP, on the other hand, was much greater. In a world of rapid and often overwhelming societal change, Ambassador Llewellyn opted to highlight the critical work of humanitarian organizations that operate in the realm of solidarity.
Save the Children Italia, SOS Children’s Villages Italia/International, Baobab Experience, Soroptimist International Italia, and Associazione Penelope were among the five groups recognized for their work with women, children, and migrants, as well as the environment.
The event’s emissions will be “neutralized” through EMoby by purchasing green credits to offset CO2 emissions, and owing to the Villa Wolkonsky staff’s virtuous behavior, which earned the ISO 20121 Certification for sustainable events.
The celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday serves as a reminder of the bilateral relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom in the fields of education, innovation, technology, culture, business, and defense, as well as an opportunity to forge new partnerships and create a better world for future generations.