Italy’s reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II surprised and touched me deeply. The radio and television broadcasts are not only filled with the usual political speculations, chat shows and historic documentaries, they are also replete with truly affectionate wishes of condolences from citizens from all walks of life throughout the peninsula.

I have, regrettably, come across some negative comments from those born in the British Isles but hardly any from Italians. In this respect I, too, have been negative. Recently, just before her death, the Fondazione Montaigne presented a concert at Bagni di Lucca’s English church (now the civic library). At the end of the performance the English national anthem was sung by a soloist and…I did not stand up. In my defence I should add that no-one else did either. I was, however, ticked off for this lèse-majesté by two audience members who rightly said that it seemed a most un-English behaviour. I replied that they were quite right to note this and felt demeaned. Why did I not stand up? Was it perhaps because I felt embarrassed to do so among a predominantly Italian audience, citizens of a republic? If someone else had stood up then clearly I would have joined in. Nevertheless, I felt a bit like a Latter-day Saint Peter after the rooster had crowed three times. Am I ever going to live it down now as an Englishman among our town’s society I wonder?

I should, however, have not been surprised by Italy’s sympathetic reaction to Great Britain’s bereavement. Its citizens, deprived of their own monarchy through the post-war referendum which established ‘La Republica’ and with their attraction towards a European country priding itself on standing apart from ‘Il continente’, have always been fascinated by things British ranging from landscape gardens to double-decker buses from Shakespeare to fish and chips, from Sherlock Holmes to the Beatles.  Above all they are captivated by the Windsor family and, waiting in my Doctor’s surgery leafing through the glossies, I have become well-informed through their articles about the goings-on of our Royal Family for better or for worse.

Despite the awfulness of brexitism (some cynics might say because of it) the majority of Italians continue to respect Great Britain and ‘l’inglesità’ or ‘Englishness’. The cultural interchange between the two countries over the centuries has been prodigious. Mediaeval ‘opus anglicanorum’ in church textiles graces ecclesiastical museums throughout Italy. Pisa, possessing an ancient reliquary of Saint Thomas à Becket for its own cathedral, is also where Chaucer was sent as a government official from the English court of King Edward III and, returning home to Eltham palace with texts by Boccaccio, Petrarch and Dante which inspired his own writing, including the ‘Canterbury Tales’, he changing the course of English literature

Inspiration from Italy continued with the English aristocrats’ grand tours which influenced their Palladian-style country houses like West Wycombe and Stourhead and even Queen Victoria’s Germanic husband modelled the Royal family’s island home at Osborne on the Italian palazzo. As for my own school at Dulwich in London I recognized its terracotta South block campanile anew when I visited Verona!    

Touching the political aspect Italy has always been grateful to the British Isles for the shelter and support it has given to its exiled leaders, not only in the country’s unification process but also in the dark days of the Second World War.  Although a monarchy the United Kingdom has ever shown largesse towards those who, like Mazzini, favoured an Italian republic.

In our own Bagni di Lucca reciprocity between the two nations is strongly evidenced in such places as the Anglican church, the English cemetery and the long history of those British who chose (and continue to choose) to reside in the verdant and rainfully-English Val di Lima.

Returning to our dearly beloved, late departed monarch, Queen Elizabeth II visited Italy on five major occasions during her Platinum Reign including four State visits. Only state visits to France have been higher in Europe.

Her first journey to Italy was in 1951 as Princess Elizabeth when she had lunch with President Einaudi. The royal couple flew from honeymooning in Malta to Rome where Elizabeth also had a private conversation with the Pope at the Vatican.

The Queen’s next visit in 1961 was her first State visit to the country when Gronchi was president. Then defence minister Andreotti accompanied her to lay a wreath at Italy’s tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She also visited Florence and Venice (enjoyed on a gondola, of course).

In 1981 it was another state visit to Italy under president Pertini.

2000 signalled the Queen’s third state visit under Ciampi’s presidency and where she also met Pope John Paul II.

Her Majesty’s last state visit to ‘il bel paese’ was in 2014 when she was greeted by President Napolitano and the newly appointed Pope Francis. Among gifts exchanged were Lapis Lazuli from the Pope and a bottle of Balmoral-distilled whiskey from the Queen.

Now, eight years later Elizabeth Alexandra Mary must be well on her way to the greatest state visit of all: to reach her final resting place, as a firm believer, with her maker.

The Queen is dead. Long live the King!