King Charles and Queen Camilla today welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife to Windsor Castle for the start of the first state visit by a German leader to the UK for 27 years.
The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted the President and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, off the plane at Heathrow Airport this morning before travelling with them to the castle.
In recent years, the royal couple have been playing an increasingly significant role in key ceremonial occasions such as state visits, and frequently take the lead in welcoming international dignitaries and VIPs.
State visits are a focus for using the legendary ‘soft power’ of the British monarchy as a tool for building and cementing diplomatic relationships.
The next three days will see a mix of pomp and pageantry, politics, economics, sport and culture, as well as provide a vehicle for talks at a crucial period for the war in Ukraine.
At Windsor, King Charles and Queen Camilla formally welcomed the Federal President and the First Lady at the Royal Dais in the town centre as a Royal Salute fired in the Home Park at Windsor, and simultaneously at the Tower of London.
The President said to Charles: ‘It’s so wonderful Your Majesty to see you again.’
The Federal President and Ms Büdenbender then joined the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, in a carriage procession to Windsor Castle.
In the castle Quadrangle, a Guard of Honour gave a Royal Salute and the regimental Band played the German and British National Anthems.
The Federal President, accompanied by the King, inspected the Guard of Honour before rejoining Queen Camilla and Ms Büdenbender, together with the Prince and Princess of Wales, to view the military Rank and March past.
Following lunch in the State Dining Room, joined by members of the Royal Family, Their Majesties will invite the President and the First Lady to view a special exhibition of items relating to Germany from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room.
The President will then leave the castle to meet the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Street for talks, while his wife visits the Judith Kerr Primary School in south east London to meet pupils and celebrate the school’s connection to its namesake, the famous German-born British writer and illustrator who authored children’s classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
However, all eyes will be back on Windsor later when the King holds a glittering state banquet in honour of his guests.
While much attention will be paid to the tiaras and outfits on display, the King and the German President will both deliver keenly-awaited speeches at the beginning of the banquet.
The visit comes at a perilous time for Europe in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere.
Britain is also attempting to reset its relationship with its closest European neighbours following the vote to leave the EU.
Tomorrow President Steinmeier and Ms Büdenbender will privately visit St George’s Chapel to lay flowers on the Tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
Returning to the castle, they will join with King Charles and Queen Camilla for a reception in partnership with The Big Help Out showcasing the positive impact of volunteering on communities.
The two couples will also view the rarely seen ‘State Sleigh’, which was designed by German-born Prince Albert for Queen Victoria and was recorded in the monarch’s diary in 1845.
The King and Queen will then bid a formal farewell to their guests, leaving the President and his wife to undertake other non-royal related engagements in the UK including a visit to the Bobby Moore Academy in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to meet German footballers playing for British Premier League clubs, a viewing of David Bowie-related memorabilia at the V&A East Storehouse and a visit to Coventry, which was twinned with Kiel and Dresden in Germany over their shared experience of bombardment during the Second World War.
The elderly Duke of Kent, 90, will represent the King in the city.
The German State Visit will formally conclude on Friday.
