Everyone loves a souvenir and when you're a queen, you get special ones. Queen Camilla is just back from her trip to Italy and she has a rather sweet present tucked up in the packing. Her Majesty was given her own jar of Nutella, complete with her name in gold on the label.
The gift came from the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who presented the glittering tub to King Charles during their official audience at the start of the State Visit. As they met at the Villa Doria Palmphilj on the morning of the royal wedding anniversary, the Italian PM handed over two jars of the chocolate spread. One had 'Charles' in gold letters while the other said 'Camilla' in equally glittering writing. Never mind twenty years of marriage, some things just can't be shared.
Whether The King and Queen have tried the Nutella yet isn't known. It's one of Italy's most famous food products and is made by Ferrero, one of its biggest businesses. The spread was created just after World War Two when Pietro Ferrero and his family started selling slices of their version of gianduja, a mix of chocolate and hazelnuts. It was so popular they made a softer version in a jar and by 1964, they were producing it on an industrial scale to sell all over Europe. It remains one of the most popular sweet spreads available.
It was an appropriate gift from Ms Meloni. Not only did it shine a spotlight on a major Italian manufacturer, it also tied in perfectly with one of the themes of the State Visit. King Charles and Queen Camilla wanted to focus on food and support for producers during their stay so it was a welcome nod to that theme. Queen Camilla embraced the food vibe thoroughly, rolling out fresh pasta in Ravenna and tucking into ice cream in Rome.
Queen Camilla headed straight to Balmoral with her husband on her return from Italy but in a few days' time, she will be in Windsor where the Royal Family is expected to gather for Easter. If Her Majesty fancies trying some of her gift she might do well to be quick. Prince Louis, on the brink of his seventh birthday, is the ideal age to finish a whole jar in one sitting.