Today the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall left Italy for Austria, arriving in Vienna this morning for a half day of engagements. I have to admit, while I was envious of their trip to Florence and Rome and Charles’s to Bucharest I am beyond jealous they’re in Vienna, which is one of my very favorite cities to visit. Taking a look at their stops I’m getting pangs of nostalgia for the last time I was there.
But first, the last bit of Rome. This morning the couple met Italian President Sergio Mattarella at Quirinal Palace, the president’s official residence, for a photo-op and half-hour conversation. Next up, Charles visited the UN Food and Agriculture Organization where he praised British workers for their efforts. (I hope you’ve sensed a theme here for what Charles’s pet causes are.)
Their first step was to Cafe Demel, a pastry and chocolate shop right in the heart of the city. No, I don’t think you understand – there are tens of thousands of pastry shops in the world (rough estimate), but only one Cafe Demel. I don’t have a sweet tooth and I would eat everything on that menu. I could write a poem about their hot chocolate alone. Anyway, I highly a recommend – definitely a must-go if you’re ever in the city.
Founded in 1786 it still holds a royal warrant dating back to the Habsburgs.
Charles and Camilla were able to enjoy the historic ambience of the cafe and were even treated to a cake display, which included tips on how to make the perfect strudel. And just as yesterday’s tour of the art school prompted a reference to the Duchess’s daughter, Laura, so too does today call to mind her son, Tom. Tom is a successful chef based in London who also writes a monthly food column for Tatler.
This evening, they attended a state banquet at the Hofburg Palace. Camilla once again wore her trusty Anna Valentine, this time in a cream and gold chiffon gown for the black tie event. The dinner marked their official welcome from Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife, First Lady Doris Schmidauer.
Earlier in the day the the couples posed for photos and had a tete-a-tete at the palace. Camilla also received a tour of the royal apartments accompanied by the First Lady.
Tomorrow the couple will wrap up their remaining engagements in Vienna and fly back to the UK. According to Charles’s calendar, he’ll be taking a few well-deserved days off before picking back up on Monday.
Catch up on yesterday here.