- By James Gregory in London & Sean Coughlan in Berlin
- BBC News
March 29, 2023 at 9:00 p.m. CET
Updated 33 minutes ago
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Watch: King Karl speaks German in Berlin
King Charles III During his first state visit as monarch, he praised Germany’s “extraordinary hospitality” towards Ukrainian refugees.
The king said both Britain and Germany “stand together” in “defending freedom and sovereignty” with Ukraine.
In his toast at a lavish state banquet, which he held partly in German, the king promised to strengthen relations.
The speech before dignitaries from both countries, including ex-Prime Minister Angela Merkel, drew lots of laughter and applause.
The King’s three-day tour with Camilla, the Queen Consort, comes after a planned visit to France was canceled following riots in several cities over pension reforms.
Germany, intended to be the second stop on the trip, is instead the site of King Charles’ first foreign visit during his reign – and the first by a British monarch since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s own state visit there in 2015.
The British government hopes the King’s visit will strengthen ties between the two nations following the UK’s decision to leave the EU – described as a “sad day” by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his own toast.
At the President’s Bellevue Palace on Wednesday night, the king said he would do everything to “strengthen the bonds between us”.
He also praised the “generosity of the German people” who have taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees displaced by the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“We stand side by side in protecting and promoting our shared democratic values,” he said.
“This is embodied so clearly today as we stand with Ukraine to defend freedom and sovereignty in the face of unprovoked aggression.”
The King also spoke about the fight against climate change, adding: “I have a deep belief that the bonds between us will only grow stronger as we strive together for a more sustainable, prosperous and secure future.”
He also mentioned his late mother and thanked the German people for the messages of “support and affection” they sent when she passed away last year.
“Throughout these years and in many ways I have been struck by the warmth of friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in myriad areas,” said the King.
“It was a friendship, Mr President, dear to my mother, the late Queen, who cared deeply for the bond between our two countries.
“The relationship between Germany and the UK is very close to my heart… I will do whatever it takes to strengthen the links between us.”
During his speech, the king caused laughter from the guests when he referred to a British comedy skit entitled “Dinner for One”.
In it, an elderly aristocrat dines alone while her waiter grows drunk while sipping the liquor being poured for her missing guests.
Both the King and President toasted at the end of their speeches, with President Steinmeier also unveiling a photograph of Charles as a child with his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Image source ANDREAS RENTZ/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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This is King Charles’ first state visit as monarch
Image source ANDREAS RENTZ/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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King Karl praised the “generosity of spirit” of the German people
Image source ANDREAS RENTZ/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel sat next to King Charles at the banquet
Image source ANDREAS RENTZ/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse and her husband, Ukrainian dancer Evgenij Voznyuk, met ahead of the banquet with the royals – Camilla is said to be a Strictly fan
Wednesday’s state visit began with a 21-gun salute and a fighter jet flying by as the King and Camilla disembarked from the Minister’s Voyager aircraft after landing at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.
As a mark of respect, the couple’s plane was escorted by two Typhoon jets as it approached the airport.
From there we continued to the ceremonial arrival at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic heart of Berlin. The sky was cold and gray, but the exhibition in honor of King Karl was intended to reflect the warm welcome from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
This was the first time in history that the Brandenburg Gate served as the backdrop for a head of state’s welcome reception.
The monument is a symbol of the country’s division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification. For more than three decades, it stood just behind the Wall that separated West and East Germany.
There were also splashes of color from flags hanging around Pariser Platz – not only German and British flags, but also a striking number of EU flags.
And that reflected the real purpose of this state visit – to strengthen ties with a key European partner that may have been battered by Brexit.
It was a formal meeting of heads of state, with military bands and tight security, but it was also a carefully choreographed diplomatic play that provided a picture of unity in Germany’s most iconic locale.
After the flags were raised and the national anthems played, King Charles and President Steinmeier set out to greet the crowds that had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the British monarch.
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The King and Queen Consort was ceremoniously welcomed by President Stenimeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender
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The King and President shook hands and spoke to some of the crowd
Earlier, President Steinmeier described the decision to choose Germany to host the state visit as an “important gesture for Anglo-German relations”.
“Today, on the day Britain began its exit from the European Union six years ago, we are opening a new chapter in our relationship,” he said in a statement.
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King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign the Golden Book when they visit Bellevue Palace
As head of state, the king’s official visits are decided on the advice of the government. The choice of Germany – and originally France – as the monarch’s first foreign destination is seen as a priority for stronger ties with European neighbours.
Announcing the state visit earlier this month, Buckingham Palace said it would “celebrate Britain’s relationship” with Germany and “mark our shared history, culture and values”.
Alongside what a palace spokesman called the “victims and challenges of our shared past,” the trip is set to focus on modern day challenges, including climate change and the war in Ukraine.
The king will be the first British sovereign to address the German Bundestag on Thursday.
King Charles and Camilla were originally scheduled to be greeted at a red carpet reception at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Sunday.
But the French leg of her European tour was canceled last week after protesters planned further demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms to coincide with the visit.