Britain’s King Charles III will begin his first state visit to Germany since assuming the throne on Wednesday (March 29), after postponing his trip to France due to widespread protests over pension reform.
Berlin welcomes with pomp and under very high security the king accompanied by his wife Camilla. The sovereign and the queen consort are due to land in the early afternoon at the city’s international airport. “The royal couple have expressed the wish to speak directly with the Berliners”which does not make the task of the security forces any easier, police director Thomas Drechsler told German media.
Law enforcement has planned a massive deployment to Berlin, where the couple will stay for two days before heading to Hamburg on Friday, the last leg of the visit. Up to 1,100 police officers will be mobilized, reinforcements from other regions have been requisitioned as well as twenty explosive sniffing dogs. Several axes will be closed to traffic in the center.
“Important European gesture”
The curious will already be able to observe the couple closely in the afternoon at the Brandenburg Gate, in the center of Berlin, where they will be welcomed by the Head of State, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife. This is the first time that a State guest will receive military honors at the foot of this emblematic monument, which was also a symbol of the partition of the city for three decades.
There will be room for only 1,500 people. The police therefore advise to come early and to be patient. Access to visitors will be open from 10.30 a.m. for a ceremony which should begin around 3 p.m. The king will then go to the presidential palace, where a banquet will be held as part of the visit, which is intended as a solemn occasion to celebrate the relationship of friendship between the two countries.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will accompany the monarch throughout his trip, described the arrival of the king even before his coronation, on May 6, as “important European gesture”. “I want to tell him, but of course also tell all Britons: we in Germany, we in Europe, want close and friendly ties with the UK, even after Brexit”insisted the president, who had made his invitation to Charles during the funeral of Elizabeth II, in September.
Thursday, the king must in particular meet with the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, walk with the mayor of the city on a market, give a speech to the German chamber of deputies and meet Ukrainian refugees.
“Allies and Friends”
The last trip of Elizabeth II to Germany in 2015, during the time of Angela Merkel, sparked great enthusiasm in the country. His most significant visit dates back to 1965, to a Berlin separated by the wall. It is seen as the moment that sealed the reconciliation between the two countries after the Second World War. His son should also expect a warm welcome: he knows the country well, where he has been more than forty times, according to the British Embassy in Berlin.
Moreover, the Germans remain big fans of the “Royals”from a “very long tradition” of monarchs and their ” high interest “ is not about to dissipate even after the death of the popular queen, according to Michael Hartmann, a sociologist at the Technical University of Damstadt. Then still Prince of Wales, Charles had mentioned “natural relationships as allies and friends” of the two countries during an address to German deputies in 2020, delivered partly in the language of Goethe.
He also recalled the German roots of the Windsors, evoking in particular the memory of his great-great-great-grandfather, Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, German husband of Queen Victoria.