Billed as a historic moment for the monarchy, the King stood in front of hundreds of politicians from both the upper and lower houses and delivered a speech in a mix of English and Italian. He hailed the strength of the UK-Italian relationship and spoke affectionately about the host country’s contributions to the arts, fashion and cultural spheres.

Confidently speaking for over 25 minutes the King showcased what the monarch does best: soft power. But there was one awkward moment near the end, when the President of the Chamber of Deputies, President Lorenzo Fontana, mistakenly thought the King had finished his speech and interrupted him. Speaking in Italian, President Fontana announced to the chamber that the proceedings had concluded.

An awkward silence followed, with the king turning around and gesturing that he wasn’t yet finished. He shuffled his papers and then laughter broke out in the chamber. Resuming his speech, he joked: “I am nearly finished” – having clearly found the exchange amusing.

The King used his speech to warn peace is “never to be taken for granted” as he paid tribute to the close ties between the two nations.

He said: “Italy will always be in my heart” with Camilla sitting a few metres away wearing her wedding dress decorated with added embroidery.

Charles made history by becoming the first British monarch to address both houses of Italy’s parliament and, after mentioning the Second World War, said: “Today, sadly, the echoes of those times, which we fervently hope had been consigned to history, reverberate across our continent.

“Our younger generations can see in the news every day on their smartphones and tablets that peace is never to be taken for granted.”

The King, who is on the third day of his state visit to Italy, told the politicians: “Britain and Italy stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share.”

His speech was punctuated by frequent rounds of applause, laughter and appreciation from the audience, and even a joke about food as he said to much laughter: “I can only hope you will forgive us for occasionally corrupting your wonderful cuisine. We do so with the greatest possible affection.

Charles used the speech to explain the aim of his four-day visit, and said: “I am here today with one purpose: to reaffirm the deep friendship between the United Kingdom and Italy, and to pledge to do all in my power to strengthen that friendship even further in the time that is granted to me as King.”

He also spoke passionately about threats facing the planet, saying extreme storms “normally seen once in a generation” are now an issue every year, and “countless precious plant and animal species face extinction in our lifetimes”.

Sections of the speech were delivered in Italian, and in a lighter moment the King referenced his wedding anniversary, telling the politicians from the chamber of deputies and the senate of the republic in their own language: “The timing is all the more special to us both since today also marks our 20th wedding anniversary.

“And by the way, I hope I’m not ruining Dante’s language so much that I’m no never invited to Italy again.”

Those present clearly had a deep respect for the King, responding to his speech with yet another standing ovation and rapturous applause.

The King deftly acknowledged the response before exiting the chamber with the Queen by his side.