Queen’s Birthday Party – Firenze

27th June 2019

On June 27, the UK affirmed its centuries-old friendship with Italy based on cultural, academic, economic and commercial exchanges at the Queen’s Birthday Party held at Florence’s Villa Bardini.
In a speech delivered to guests as the sun set over the spectacular skyline of Florence, British Ambassador to Italy Jill Morris said, in Italian (translated here, ed.), “The Queen’s Birthday Party is an occasion to celebrate the strong ties that unite the United Kingdom and Italy, and to create new opportunities for friendship and collaboration between our two countries… The relations between Italy and the United Kingdom are not limited to the historical ones of the Grand Tour, which also represent a solid foundation. They continue in the present with the intense cultural, academic, economic and commercial exchanges that we are celebrating here tonight. Florence is historically a city beloved by Brits. Only two years ago it was the centre of a busy programme of events during the Royal Visit of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Furthermore, like all the cities that have hosted our celebrations, Florence will be at the centre of a focused programme of events in 2020, which our two governments have designated as the Year of Anglo-Italian Culture, aimed at further strengthening our cultural and artistic relations.” The Florentine
The consortium “Il Cappello di Firenzewas a guest of the event, showing to those present the hats on which he founded his own artisan tradition, always appreciated by the United Kingdom and its citizens.