Prince Charles Visits Earthquake-Ravaged City, Camilla Meets Human Trafficking Victims

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall continued their visit to Italy on Sunday, with Charles visiting the earthquake-ravaged city of Amatrice, and Camilla meeting victims of human trafficking and visiting a church with links to her family heritage.

Heading south, Prince Charles was required to wear a hardhat as he walked through what was Amatrice’s city centre before it was reduced to rubble by earthquakes in August 2016. It is now referred to as the ‘red zone’. The Prince spoke with the city’s mayor during his visit, expressing his condolences and telling him the “people of Britain mind very much what’s happened to you all here.”

He also laid flowers at a memorial to the 299 people killed in the natural disaster, among whom were three Britons – one who Prince Charles knew through his charity work.

The Duchess of Cornwall meanwhile remained in Florence, spending time with victims of human trafficking at one of the Progetto Arcobaleno Association’s centres. She said the private meeting was quite difficult because of the “horrific experiences the women had been through”.

The Association assists the underprivileged in the city, providing them services to help them regain an independent life.

Camilla then stopped at the Uffizi Gallery, viewing exhibitions of Renaissance art she called “magnificent”.

She later visited St Mark’s Anglican Church, where she listened to a performance by the University College Oxford Choir before inspecting a plaque honouring her great-grandmother Alice Keppel (better known as the mistress of Edward VII). The Keppels owned a villa in Florence, Villa dell’Ombrellino, which Camilla told the Church’s pastor, Reverend William Lister, she remembered playing in as a child.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Italy, Natural Disaster, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales.

3 Responses to Prince Charles Visits Earthquake-Ravaged City, Camilla Meets Human Trafficking Victims