King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have arrived in Germany for an official state visit. The royal couple was greeted at the Berlin-Brandenburg Government airport with a 21-gun salute, a flypast by two military jets, and a warm welcome from British Ambassador to Germany Jill Gallard.
The British monarch sported a black double-breasted coat, white button-down, and blue tie, while Camilla complemented his attire in a long blue coat and matching hat adorned with feather details. Upon arrival, Camilla was presented with a bouquet.
The royal couple's visit to Germany, scheduled from Wednesday to Friday, aims to celebrate Britain's shared history and relationship with France and Germany. Discussions will focus on supporting each other in addressing climate change, the conflict in Ukraine, and other pressing issues.
Charles and Camilla are slated to address the national parliament, attend a state banquet, and meet representatives from a joint German-U.K. military unit in Brandenburg. Additionally, King Charles will visit the St. Nikolai Memorial, learn about green technology used at the port of Hamburg, and conclude the trip with a reception in Hamburg attended by local British community members.
On Wednesday, the couple was received by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The royal couple also had the opportunity to interact with several well-wishers.
Following their visit to the Brandenburg Gate, King Charles and Camilla visited the Schloss Bellevue presidential palace and signed the official guest book to commemorate their visit.
King Charles honored his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, by planting a tree alongside President Steinmeier in the garden of the presidential Bellevue Palace as part of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative.
The planned state visit to France, originally scheduled for Monday to Wednesday, was postponed due to unrest in the country and widespread protests over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the postponement in a statement on Friday: "The King and The Queen Consort's State Visit to France has been postponed. Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found."
The original six-day visit to France and Germany, home to the largest populations in the European Union, aimed to emphasize efforts to rebuild relations between Britain and its neighbors after six years of Brexit-related disputes.
Macron's determination to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 has sparked anger, casting a shadow over the new monarch's international debut. French labor unions organized nationwide protests and strikes on Tuesday, which would have coincided with the king's visit to Bordeaux and complicated his travel arrangements.
The trip marks King Charles' 35th official visit to France and 29th official visit to Germany, according to Buckingham Palace. His most recent visits to France and Germany occurred in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
