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Berlin is the destination of the English monarch’s first outing abroad since he took over from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. The king and his wife, Camilla, were received with military honors by the German president. , Frank-Walter Steinmeier, at the iconic Brandenburg Gate.
Carlos III together with the queen consort will spend three days in German territory as part of his official visit to the European country. It was budgeted that, before visiting Germany, the king would set foot on French soil, however, the trip had to be canceled due to protests in multiple French cities against President Macron’s pension reform.
Through a post on their Twitter account, Carlos and Camila expressed their happiness at starting their official visit to Germany and stressed their desire to “deepen” relations between the two nations.
The English royal plane was escorted by German military jets and, upon landing, the British were greeted with a military ceremony unprecedented in German history. It is the first time that the authorities of the German country have performed similar honors to a foreign political figure.
Ahead of our first State Visit to Germany, we are very much looking forward to meeting all of those who make this country so special.
It is a great joy to be able to continue the deepening of the longstanding friendship between our two nations.
-Charles R and Camilla R
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 29, 2023
During his visit, King Carlos III will address issues such as the war in Ukraine, climate change and the post-Brexit relations of both nations. Also, the monarch will meet with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, during his stay in the country.
However, the main topic on the first day of the visit was the environmental situation of the planet. The king met with Germany’s foreign and economic ministers to discuss renewable energy and sustainability, during a post-ceremony forum in Brandenburg, Buckingham Palace reports.
During the unprecedented reception ceremony for the English king, President Steinmeier stressed that the fact that Charles III had chosen Germany as his first trip abroad as king represents a “European gesture”.
“Today, exactly six years after the United Kingdom began its exit from the European Union, we open a new chapter in our relations,” Steinmeier remarked.
A “new chapter” in relations between Britain and Europe
Carlos III’s visit is a “clear sign of the push that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is exerting to restart relations with Europe,” Anand Menon, director of a British think thank, told Reuters.
The conciliatory intentions of the British government with this visit can be confirmed, since due to British legislation, state visits by the royal family abroad are conditioned by the final decision of the acting government. Therefore, Sunak’s influence on Europe being the king’s first destination is clear.
The king is scheduled to address the German parliament in the coming days, as well as meet some of the Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in Germany since the start of the war.
With AP, Reuters and local media
