State visit by Charles III to Germany
 King Charles III and Queen Camilla with President Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin | |
| Date | 29 to 31 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Berlin Hamburg |
| Type | State visit |
| Participants | King Charles III Queen Camilla President Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his wife Queen Camilla made a state visit to Germany from 29 to 31 March 2023, hosted by the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender.[1] It was his first official visit as British monarch on German soil and the first ever state visit carried out during his reign.[2]
Background
[edit]The royal couple were originally meant to visit France first, but that state visit was postponed due to the 2023 French pension reform strikes.[3][4] The aim of the visit to Germany was to showcase the strong bond and friendship between Germany and Britain to strengthen ties that have been strained by Brexit.[3][4] Charles had visited Germany around 40 times as a prince.[4]
Visit
[edit]29 March
[edit]The King and Queen's arrival at Berlin Brandenburg Airport was marked by a twenty-one gun salute.[5][3] The royal couple then joined President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, for a military ceremony at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.[5][3] Charles then attended a meeting on sustainability at Bellevue Palace and planted a tree as part of the Queen's Green Canopy in tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.[5] A state banquet was then held in the evening at Bellevue Palace.[5] President Steinmeier described Brexit as a "sad day", but added "Many feared that Brexit could make the Germans and the British drift apart. However this did not happen. Too strong are the ties between our countries".[6]
30 March
[edit]On the second day, Charles met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Federal Chancellery of Germany.[7] He and Camilla visited the Wittenbergplatz Food Market.[5] Charles then became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, speaking in both English and German.[5][8] He subsequently met with Ukrainian refugees at the Tegel Refugee Centre as well as a joint German/British military unit at Finowfurt.[5] He also toured the organic Brodowin Farm.[5] Camilla visited Refugio House in Kreuzberg and met with locals and refugees.[5] She also visited the Komische Oper Berlin.[5]
31 March
[edit]On the third day, the King and Queen travelled from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Hamburg and arrived at Hamburg Dammtor station.[5] They visited the Kindertransport Memorial to mark the 85th anniversary of the UK-led rescue mission in 1938 to save 10,000 children by granting them entry to the UK and Camilla laid a rose in memory of the Holocaust victims.[5] They then visited St. Nicholas Church which had been largely destroyed by the bombing of Hamburg in World War II and Charles laid a wreath in memory of those killed in the bombings.[5] They later stopped at Hamburg City Hall and were greeted by the mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher.[5] Charles then went on a Green Energy boat tour at the Port of Hamburg.[5] Camilla visited the Rudolf Ross Elementary School and the couple attended a reception at the Schuppen 52 warehouse before departing for Britain from Hamburg Airport.[9][10]
See also
[edit]
- List of official overseas trips made by Charles III
- State visit by Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the United Kingdom
- Germany–United Kingdom relations
References
[edit]- ^ "Details of King Charles III's first state visit to France revealed". Tatler. 13 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ Coughlan, Sean (3 March 2023). "King Charles to travel to France and Germany in first state visits". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d "King Charles III visits Germany on first foreign trip as Britain's monarch". Associated Press. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026 – via CBS News.
- ^ a b c "King Charles visits Germany in first trip abroad as monarch". Deutsche Welle. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "State Visit to Germany". The Royal Family. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ Coughlan, Sean (31 March 2023). "Was the King's first state visit a success?". BBC News. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ "In Pictures: King Charles's state visit to Germany". BBC News. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ "Speech by His Majesty King Charles III to the German Bundestag". German Bundestag. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ Henni, Janine (31 March 2023). "King Charles and Queen Camilla Give Rare Glimpse of Royal Travel in Germany". People. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ Burack, Emily (30 March 2023). "All the Best Photos of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Germany". Town & Country. Retrieved 3 April 2026.