“Not too light, not too dark.” In the run-up to King Charles’ visit to Germany, SPIEGEL retrieved some secret files about his mother from the archive.
According to a media report, previously kept secret documents reveal the effort that went into Germany’s visits to the late British Queen Elizabeth II. According to information this Monday, the magazine “Spiegel” was able to view thousands of sheets of these files. These included notes for the Queen’s meetings with the Federal President and Chancellor, letters from the monarch and her advisers, and protocol documents.
During a state visit in May 1978, for example, Elizabeth II had clear ideas about her gift. According to the report, she asked Federal President Walter Scheel, who ruled from 1974 to 1979, for two horses – a Holsteiner, “not too light, definitely not too dark,” and a gray, “white if possible, definitely not dirty gray.” . .
The German federal government granted his wish and bought the animals worth around 60,000 euros. According to “Spiegel”, a head of state had never received such a valuable gift. The expensive gift later led to “considerable objections” from the Federal Audit Court.
“BK: no!”
As the magazine reports, the documents also document the feud behind the scenes. Elizabeth II had planned a speech to the Bundestag during her visit in October 1992. However, the presentation was cancelled. The decision was up to the Bundestag, it was said at the time. Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU) “will not interfere”.
According to the report, a document now shows that this was not true: in a letter from a department head to Kohl about the Queen’s request, Chancellor Friedrich Bohl wrote by hand that Kohl had spoken out against the speech: “BK: no !” This week – more than 30 years later – Charles III. for the first time a British monarch speaks before the German Parliament. The king is on a state visit to the Federal Republic from Wednesday to Friday.
(APA/AFP)