King Charles III is preparing to become the first monarch to speak before Germany.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and is set to become the first monarch to address Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two European powers.
Charles, 74, is on his first foreign trip as king. On Wednesday, he and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin. Crowds of well-wishers greeted the couple at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, as did Germany’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. They later attended a banquet at the presidential palace in their honor.
Great to listen to His Majesty King Charles III at @Bundestag. He is the first British monarch to address German lawmakers. Didn’t know that the King’s German is so fluent. pic.twitter.com/4PoGmj1FDh
— Nasimi Aghayev🇦🇿 (@NasimiAghayev) March 30, 2023
Aside from the pomp and royal glamour, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. Following the painful process that preceded and followed the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, the British government is attempting to mend frayed ties with its continental partners.
Brexit has had a significant impact: Britain’s exit from the EU’s common market has resulted in trade barriers and labor shortages, as well as keeping the country out of key European science programs. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalize relations with the EU by focusing special attention on the EU’s two most powerful members, France and Germany.
Charles had planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there forced him to postpone that leg of his journey. This shifted the focus to Germany, where the British royal family has long sparked interest and admiration.
“A king isn’t elected,” Korte told
The visit, however, did not appeal to everyone. The opposition Left party’s Jan Korte said it was not in keeping with Germany’s democratic tradition to have Charles address the country’s highest political body, the Bundestag.
“A king is not elected,” Korte told ZDF, the German public broadcaster. “He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think it’s not really appropriate to have a monarch speak, particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people.”
Following his speech, Charles and Camilla will meet with refugees and British and German military personnel, and then visit an organic farm outside of Berlin. They intend to visit Hamburg on Friday.
