They weren’t going for understated as the King and Queen arrived in Rome, with two fighter jets accompanying their plane, emblazoned with its Union flag paintwork.
At a time of heightened global tensions, one the UK’s most important power plays was being deployed to Italy.
It is easy to be sniffy about what soft power really means; the UK’s ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewelyn, did his best to sum it up by briefing journalists that the King and Queen’s visit will “do something intangible but priceless”.
And with his experience as the former ambassador to France and David Cameron’s chief of staff, he should have a good idea.
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Emphasising why it matters now, he said: “This state visit comes at a key moment.
“The UK’s relationship with Italy continues to strengthen as we reset our relationships with our European partners.”
When it comes to defence ties, “these are closer than ever with Italy right now, which is vital in a changing Europe, and as both countries stand steadfast in our support for Ukraine”, he added.
The fact Foreign Secretary David Lammy is joining the King and Queen on parts of this this visit underpins the importance.
You could say the photo opportunities of the royals posing for wedding anniversary pictures, food tasting and visiting cultural hotspots such as Rome’s Colosseum are the window dressing – as behind closed doors, important political and diplomatic talks have been arranged because of the honour of this visit.
All this comes in the wider context of a destabilising Trump presidency and his disruptive tariffs.
The importance of trade is often a topic that comes up as a reason for a royal tour and never has it seemed more significant to hear the UK’s ambassador talk about the economic ties between the UK and Italy “flourishing”.
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The smiles and the handshakes over the next few days may seem insignificant compared to the tough talks going on elsewhere.
But talk to those in diplomatic circles and they will consistently tell you that the foundations of friendship laid down by a royal tour, especially in this current climate, have a vital and lasting role to play.
