Charles III Embarks on First Foreign Trip as King to Germany

On Wednesday, King Charles III of Britain began his first state visit as monarch, arriving in Germany to maintain strong ties after Brexit. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, stating that their visit marked a new chapter in relations between the two countries. Germany welcomed the royal visitors with a 21-gun salute at Berlin-Brandenburg airport and two military jets made a flypast as they watched from the top of the plane stairs. The British Union Jack was flapping alongside the German and European Union flags along Berlin’s central Unter den Linden avenue, which leads to the Brandenburg Gate, where crowds of well-wishers waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the dignitaries. Charles will also become the first monarch to address the German parliament during his three-day visit, with a speech on Thursday, before travelling to the port city of Hamburg on Friday. The choice of Germany for Charles’s first visit, after a planned trip to France was postponed, showed Berlin was a “key partner” for Britain as it seeks to reset relations with the EU.