“Laughing at the same things, getting on with life,” the Queen told reporters during their state visit to Italy, per ‘Hello!’ magazine

Queen Camilla is revealing the “secret” of her happy, 20-year marriage to King Charles.

While speaking to reporters in Rome during their state visit to Italy on Wednesday, April 9 — which also marked their
wedding anniversary — the Queen reflected on the past two decades with her husband.

“Twenty years, who could believe it was 20 years? What is the secret? I don’t know… well… I suppose it’s just sort of friendship, really,” she said, per
Hello! magazine.

“Laughing at the same things, getting on with life. I suppose doing this, takes up most of the time,” the Queen added during a visit to the Alessandro Manzoni school, where the children were learning about Paddington Bear.

Queen Camilla and King Charles, 2018.Chris Jackson/Getty

Queen Camilla — who carried out her own engagements on Wednesday morning before reuniting with King Charles at the Italian Parliament — said of their marriage, “We are always going in different directions, like ships that pass in the night really. We whizz past each other. In fact we have got a bit of a catch-up this afternoon,” Hello! noted.

Her Majesty added that they are going to exchange anniversary gifts once they return to the U.K. after their busy four-day trip to Italy.

“We are going to save that,” Queen Camilla said, per the outlet. Otherwise…you have to rush it. You don’t have time to say anything. No, I think we might dig into our pockets and pull something out at the end of the day.”

Queen Camilla and King Charles attend a state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale on April 9, 2025.Andrew Parsons – Pool/Getty

Queen Camilla hinted that her husband’s gift would be made of china, the traditional gift to mark 20 years of marriage.

“Dream on!” she quipped when asked if she’d like King Charles to take things a little easier, adding that the couple do “have time over dinner to do a bit of catching up,” Hello! reported.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured on their wedding day on April 9, 2005.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Camilla also told reporters that she visited Italy as a child, revealing it was special to be back there celebrating her milestone anniversary.

“You come to Italy and you feel better. They are so friendly. Everybody is so lovely. You’ve got the food, the weather, there’s something in the air,” she said, per the outlet.

After a day of engagements, the King and Queen celebrated 20 years of marriage on Wednesday with the ultimate royal date night, as they attended a glam state banquet at the Palazzo Quirinale. Their state visit to Italy is from April 7 to April 11 and marks their first international trip of the year.

King Charles and Queen Camilla.Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Buckingham Palace

King Charles and Queen Camilla first met more than 35 years before they tied the knot. Sparks flew when the two were introduced by a friend in 1970, though they went on to marry other people.

Charles and Camilla later rekindled their romance and eventually split from their respective partners, with Charles’ divorce from Princess Diana finalized a year before her death in a Paris car crash in 1997.

They slowly took their love public in the years that followed. Camilla has supported Charles through royal life, including his accession as King in September 2022 and his cancer diagnosis that was announced in February 2024, with treatment ongoing.