Many of us remember the exciting day of April 21, 1985 when the Royals – Lady Diana and Prince Charles – took a tour of Lake Maggiore. I was with my mother right there, near the pier in Laveno Mombello from where they embarked. The important event is documented by a television report (published on Youtube here) carried out during the occasion by the TG of Televerbano, a local television network. The service is by Claudio Perozzo, for the filming Franco Gargaglione, the commentary by Fabrizio Gemma. The princes were welcomed by the mayor Ercole Ielmini, who gave them a ceramic by Albino Reggiori from Lavenese.
Here are some jokes taken from the newspaper “La Provincia di varese” which interviewed the mayor Ercole Ielmini “The princes came from Gallarate, where they had visited an aeronautical industry and went on a visit, for lunch to Isola Bella, hosted by the Borromeo family. But I do not know the real reasons for the choice. The decision was taken at the highest levels, it is part of the state secrets that no one knows.” The emotion, among the crowd in front of the pier, was tangible, as recalled by the journalist Claudio Perozzo, historical signature of local journalism then reporter of TeleVerbano, to whom we owe the footage that immortalized the great event: “The princess seemed rather shy and very dazed by the presence of all these people”. Then Diana and Carlo tread the oriental carpet and board the maxi hydrofoil of the Navigazione Lago Maggiore Enrico Fermi, and set sail for Isola Bella. The two royals greet Laveno, from the stern of the boat. From the stern of the Enrico Fermi, Diana gives a shy smile and greets briefly with her hand, it is her farewell to Laveno. On board the hydrofoil, for the sad princess, a bunch of lilies of the valleys caught in the Varese valleys, a delicate white flower, to be cared for with love.
I recommend taking a souvenir photo from the pier.