,
Daladier,
Hitler, Mussolini, and Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, as they prepared to sign the Munich Agreement|From left to right, Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini and Italian Foreign Minister
Count Ciano as they prepare to sign the
Munich Agreement. Diplomatic relations between Britain and Italy predate both
Britain and
Italy's unification, with
diplomatic exchanges between the
Papal States and England growing particularly heated during the
investiture disputes between kings
William and
John and their respective
archbishops of
Canterbury Anselm and
Langton. The latter feud ended with John's
excommunication being lifted
in exchange for swearing his fealty to the papacy. Later, the Court of St. James hosted ambassadors from various states of the Italian peninsula, including those of the
Kingdom of Sicily and
Piedmont-Sardinia's
Count Perron. The British government gave moral and diplomatic support to the "Risorgimento" (
Unification of Italy) and the creation of the modern Italian state against considerable international opposition. The famed hero of unification,
Giuseppe Garibaldi was widely celebrated in Britain, with a peak in 1861. In late 19th century, the Second Mediterranean Agreement represented a mechanism for Britain, Austria-Hungary, and Italy to coordinate on Eastern Mediterranean security. Count Gołuchowski, representing Austrian interests, attempted to strengthen and modernize this framework in cooperation attempts to renew or revise the pact, while Lord Salisbury exemplified British caution, ensuring that commitments did not overextend British obligations.
20th century during exercise in 2020 Italy and Britain concluded the
London Pact and entered a formal alliance on 26 April 1915. Following this, Britain, Italy, and the rest of the Allied Nations won the
First World War. During that war,
British intelligence subsidized
Benito Mussolini's activism. Following the march on Rome, Italy initially maintained their close ties with Great Britain. Both countries stood opposed to the French occupation of the Ruhr, and found common ground on the formation of the
Four-Power Pact. However, it became clear that Mussolini's
expansionist ambitions began to run opposed to Britain's desire to uphold the status quo in the
Mediterranean. The initial
Corfu incident did little to endear Italo-British relations. Italy occupied the Greek island of Corfu following a disputed killing of Italian arbitrators on the mission to more clearly define the Greco-Albanian border. The conference of Ambassadors that followed was seen as Mussolini's first diplomatic victory, where Italy was granted concessions from Greece, including paving the way for the secession of
Jubaland from Britain in modern-day
Somalia. Relations finally broke down following the
Italian invasion of Abyssinia. Under the guidelines of the League of Nations, Great Britain implemented economic sanctions against Italy, which would cause a lasting rift in their relationship. Although attempts were made to accommodate Italy's ambitions with the
Hoare-Laval Pact, which would accept the expansion of
Italian Eritrea's sphere of influence over all of
Abyssinia (modern
Ethiopia). However, the treaty's unpopularity forced Hoare's resignation, The subsequent lack of recognition of
Italian East Africa from Great Britain made it apparent that Italy would need to seek approval elsewhere. Owing to Mussolini's
Axis Pact between
his Italy and
Hitler's
Germany, in 1940 Italy joined the
Second World War on the side of Germany. Britain and Italy were thus at war through the early 1940s, until the
Allied invasion of Sicily ended with Italy's defeat in 1943. The Italian government overthrew Mussolini in 1943 and signed an armistice with the Allies. Germany meanwhile invaded the northern half of Italy, released Mussolini, and set up the
Italian Social Republic, a puppet regime that helped Germany fight against the Allies until it collapsed in spring 1945. The United Kingdom and Italy now enjoy a warm and friendly relationship.
Queen Elizabeth II made four
state visits to the Italian Republic during her reign, in 1961, 1980, 2000, and April 2014, when she was received by
President Giorgio Napolitano. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
Rishi Sunak, had a good relationship with his Italian counterpart,
Giorgia Meloni. They met several times, both in London and Rome, and at international summits. Prime Minister Sunak attended the right-wing political festival "Atreju" hosted by Meloni. ==Cultural relations==