King Charles reunites with special friend during significant meeting

King Charles was delighted to be reunited with an old friend during an extraordinary visit as they promote an important cause.

The monarch, who was on a four-day trip to Italy with his wife Queen Camilla, visited the Basilica of St Vitale and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, which left him “truly enchanted”.

Charles met with Federico Marchetti in the YOOX Net-a-Porter founder’s hometown as they continue to use fashion as a force for good.

Federico and Charles have known one another for years. Federico has led the Fashion Task Force for one of projects close of the monarch's heart, King’s Sustainable Market Initiative since 2021.

Along with the designer, Charles explored the ornate mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries and listened to its rich history.

Federico said that it “felt truly magical” to revisit his hometown especially with the British monarch.

“What a joy it was to watch the King, amazed, appreciate the incredible mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale — mosaics he had surely read about in detail in the book Ravenna by Judith Herrin, which I gave him as a gift several years ago,” Federico told People Magazine.

He added that the King was “truly enchanted by such spiritual beauty. I must admit, I was moved once again”.

Charles has been a long-time advocate of sustainability and his work with Federico “focus[es] on everything related to fashion, because fashion is actually a very polluting industry”.