King Charles will travel to Germany on Wednesday, his first state visit abroad since becoming British monarch, as part of efforts to end years of strained relations between Britain and the European Union following the country’s exit from the bloc.
Charles, who succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth as the British monarch in September, was scheduled to visit France first, but that leg of the tour was canceled due to violent social unrest over President Emmanuel Macron’s new pension law.
According to Buckingham Palace, during his three-day visit to Germany’s capital Berlin, the eastern state of Brandenburg, and the northern port city of Hamburg, Charles will address issues confronting both countries, such as sustainability and the Ukraine crisis, as well as commemorate the past.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will greet Charles and his wife Queen Consort Camilla with military honors at Berlin’s most famous landmark, the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of the country’s division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification.
According to Steinmeier, Charles’ choice of France and Germany for his first state visit, even before his coronation in May, was an important “European gesture.”
“To him, and obviously all Britons,” he said in a video message ahead of the trip, “I want to say that we in Germany, in Europe, wish for close and friendly relations with the United Kingdom even after Brexit.”
The royal couple will then be honored guests at a state banquet at Schloss Bellevue, the presidential palace.
On Thursday in Berlin, Charles will address the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, which he last addressed as Prince of Wales in 2020, and meet with some of the 1 million Ukrainians who have fled the conflict in Germany.
Later in the day, he will meet with representatives from a joint German-British military unit in Brandenburg for a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles.
On Friday, he will visit a church in Hamburg that was bombed by the Allies during WWII, as well as meet with representatives of companies deploying green technology in the port.
Steinmeier stated that he extended an invitation to Charles, who has visited Germany more than 40 times, at his mother’s funeral last September. The British government, on the other hand, makes the final decision on such state visits, which are part of the monarchy’s “soft power.”
According to Anand Menon, director of the academic think tank UK in a Changing Europe, the trip was a clear indication of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s push to reset relations with Europe.
However, any improved relations with Europe brought about by the visit could quickly deteriorate if other post-Brexit issues arise. These include Britain’s readmission to the Horizon program, the EU’s main funding program for research and innovation with a 95.5 billion euro budget.
Macron has proposed rescheduling Charles’ visit to France for the summer.
