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King Charles III arrives in Germany for first overseas state visit
Royal welcome
King Charles III and the Queen Consort have arrived in Germany for the king’s first overseas state visit as monarch, following postponed plans to visit France. They were greeted on Wednesday by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife with a full ceremonial welcome at Pariser Platz. The reunion was made all the more special as it was the first head of state to be officially welcomed at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate rather than at Schloss Bellevue, the residence of the German president.
Crowds gather at the Brandenburg Gate
Central Berlin saw crowds gather to welcome the King and Queen Consort, with around 900 police officers deployed. Among the crowd were members of the Royal British Legion and families of British Embassy employees. This was not the first royal event for some members of the crowd, such as 59-year-old Christophe who visited London for the late Queen’s state funeral last year. Christophe hoped that the visit would heal wounds caused by Brexit and strengthen the relationship between Germany and the UK.
State banquet
The royal couple later traveled to the presidential palace for a state banquet. Steinmeier described the royal visit as “both a great pleasure and a great honor” in a speech during the banquet. He praised the ties between Germany and the UK as well as the reconciliation that has ocured after two World Wars. King Charles also praised the relationship and highlighted their joint efforts to defend freedom and sovereignty in the face of aggression. He thanked Germany for hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees and acknowledged the generosity of the German people.
Goals for the trip
The visit aims to renew and strengthen ties between Germany and the UK following Britain’s exit from the European Union. According to Buckingham Palace, it’s is also a chance for the countries to work together in partnership to tackle climate change, respond to the conflict in Ukraine and other important global issues.
Credit: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/europe/king-charles-germany-visit-intl/index.html
