UK royals meet Italy's president and enjoy a special tour of Rome's Colosseum

ROME (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla met Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday, the second day of a state visit to Italy that marks the British monarch's first overseas trip since he was briefly hospitalized for side effects from his cancer treatment.

The royal couple then visited some of Rome’s most iconic monuments, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in Piazza Venezia, where they laid a wreath. They enjoyed a special tour of the Colosseum, where they met a group of schoolchildren and were greeted by a cheering crowd of locals and tourists.

“I came here specifically to see the royals ... It’s very emotional because it’s the first time I’ve seen them,” said Samuele Tassinari, an 18-year-old student visiting from the northern city of Bologna. “We saw them earlier on their way to the Quirinale, and now we saw them go by in their usual Bentley, which they also have in London. It was very exciting.”

Charles and Camilla were escorted to the Quirinale Palace by a group of over 30 mounted presidential guards and were greeted by Mattarella and his daughter in the palace’s courtyard.

The royal visit was also celebrated with a joint flyover of the presidential palace by the Italian air force’s aerobatic team, known as Frecce Tricolori, and the RAF’s Red Arrows.

Mattarella will host a state banquet for the British monarchs at the Quirinale Palace on Wednesday evening, which also marks the royal couple's 20th wedding anniversary.

King Charles will also meet Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday, before addressing a joint session of the Italian Parliament in the afternoon, the first time a British monarch has done so.

In Rome, Charles will highlight the close links between Britain and Italy, two NATO allies, at a time when European nations are working to bolster support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Charles and Camilla's visit will also include a side trip to Ravenna, in the northern Emilia Romagna region, on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Adriatic city’s liberation by Allied forces.

The royals will celebrate the cuisine of the region and meet with local farmers devastated by floods that recently hit the area.

“The visit to Italy will underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship,’’ the Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

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Associated Press videojournalist Silvia Stellaci in Rome contributed to this report.

King Charles III, right, and Queen Camilla walk through the Colosseum archeological park, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla stand in front of the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Aerobatic squad aircrafts of the British Red Arrows and the Italian Tricolored Arrows fly over Rome during an official visit to Italy of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla stand in front of the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

King Charles III, right, and Queen Camilla walk through the Colosseum archeological park, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

King Charles III, right, and Queen Camilla walk as they visit the Colosseum archeological park, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla stand in front of the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla stand in front of the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

King Charles III, left, and Queen Camilla arrives to visit the Colosseum archeological park, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

King Charles III, right, and Queen Camilla walk as they visit the Colosseum archeological park, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

King Charles III, right, meets Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

King Charles III, right, meets Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Queen Camilla arrives at the Quirinale Presidential Palace to meet with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Queen Camilla arrives at the Quirinale Presidential Palace to meet with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

King Charles III, right, meets Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

King Charles III, right, meets Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

King Charles III, right, meets Italy's President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Presidential Palace, in Rome, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)