The British King Charles III. and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier want to further expand relations between their countries – regardless of Great Britain’s exit from the European Union. “Whatever lies ahead, I know: our German-British friendship will remain important and it will remain strong,” said Steinmeier on Wednesday evening at a state banquet in honor of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Bellevue Palace. The visit opens a new chapter. “We look forward under changed conditions – and yet together.”
The relations between the two countries are also extremely important to him, “I am more than ever convinced of their lasting value for all of us,” Charles emphasized in his after-dinner speech. “I can only assure you that I will do everything I can to further strengthen our relationship during my time as king.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at BER Airport in the afternoon and were greeted with a 21-gun salute. As the first state guests ever, they were then welcomed with military honors in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate – this ceremonial normally takes place at the official residence of the Federal President, Bellevue Palace. It is Charles’ first trip abroad as king, who will not be crowned until May 6th.
After the military ceremony and the anthems of both countries at the Brandenburg Gate, Charles and Steinmeier took a few minutes to shake hands. After strict security checks, several hundred onlookers were allowed onto the closed off Pariser Platz. They stayed there for hours. Many cheered as Charles and Camilla got out of a limo at exactly 3.10pm.
In an official tweet, Charles and Camilla emphasized how much they were looking forward to the three-day visit to Germany. “It gives us great pleasure to be able to further deepen the longstanding friendship between our two nations,” they wrote together.
At a reception on the topic of energy transition and sustainability, Steinmeier thanked Charles for making his very first trip abroad as the new British king to Germany. This is “a great personal gesture and an important sign of Anglo-German relations,” he said.
As he later did again at the state banquet, Steinmeier recalled that on March 29, 2017, the then British Prime Minister Theresa May had submitted Britain’s request to leave the EU. “Today, exactly six years to the day since Great Britain began its exit from the European Union, we are starting a new chapter. Together, as friends and partners, we now look ahead.”
In his after-dinner speech, which was partly held in German, King Charles said that he and his wife were “deeply touched” by the warm welcome in Germany. The king flashed British humor when he pointed out that he had been to Germany more than forty times. “Of course, that shows how important our relationships are to me, but also, I’m afraid, how long I’ve been around.”
Charles also thanked the Germans for the “extremely moving words of support and affection” following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September. “Your kindness has meant more to my family and I than words can express.” The king also expressed his appreciation for Germany for taking in more than a million refugees from Ukraine. This is “convincing proof, it seems to me, of the generosity of the people in Germany”.
Around 130 guests were invited to the state banquet. Among others, the former Federal Presidents Horst Köhler and Joachim Gauck with their wives, former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the leaders of the Bundestag, Bundesrat and Federal Constitutional Court, Bärbel Bas, Peter Tschentscher (both SPD) and Stephan Harbarth. Celebrities who are not part of politics were few and far between. There were, for example, star architect David Chipperfield, dancer Motsi Mabuse, known from the RTL show “Let’s Dance”, and Campino, the frontman of the band Tote Hosen.
The dress code for the male guests was tails, which is considered particularly festive. For women, the long evening dress was actually mandatory – but there were also outliers like SPD leader Saskia Esken, who came in a bright red pants suit. While many guests only shook hands with the royal couple at the parade, CDU leader Friedrich Merz took the opportunity to have a short conversation with Charles.
For the visit of the royal couple, Berlin operates an enormous security effort. There were barriers not only around the luxury hotel Adlon, where Charles and Camilla are believed to be sleeping, but also at Bellevue Palace, the Chancellery and the Bundestag. The Berlin police deployed around 900 officers on Wednesday. The royal couple themselves are protected by special units from the German Federal Criminal Police Office and bodyguards from Great Britain.
Background to the state visit After-dinner speech Federal President Steinmeier Royal Family on Twitter
