The United Kingdom's King Charles officially welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday, marking the beginning of the German head of state's three-day state visit to Britain. This visit underscores the strengthening of relations between the two European nations, particularly in the post-Brexit landscape. This is the first state visit by a German President in 27 years, occurring two years after King Charles made Germany his inaugural official overseas trip following his ascension to the throne in September 2023, according to The WP Times with reference to Reuters.
The British monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, met President Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, in Windsor. Following the official welcome, the royal and presidential couples participated in a traditional carriage procession that traveled to Windsor Castle, joined by the King's son, Prince William, and his wife, Kate. Later on Wednesday, President Steinmeier is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his official residence on Downing Street, which will be followed by a state banquet hosted at Windsor Castle. The structure of this trip is similar to the state visit of Donald Trump to Britain in September, though security arrangements for the current German visit are expected to be less extensive than those put in place for the former U.S. President.
This visit follows German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s trip to Britain in July, during which a new treaty was signed as part of the UK's efforts to reset relations with the European Union after the friction caused by Brexit. It also follows a three-day state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, which took place in July. The next day, Thursday, the German President and his wife will pay respects by laying flowers at the tomb of King Charles's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. They will also be shown the State Sleigh, an object designed by Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert. Furthermore, during his time in the UK, President Steinmeier is slated to address British lawmakers in Parliament and meet with German professional footballers who play for Premier League clubs in Britain. On Friday, the presidential couple will travel to Coventry in central England, a city that suffered extensive bombing during World War Two. There, the President will lay a wreath in the ruins of the city’s old cathedral alongside the Duke of Kent, who himself attended events in February to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Allied bombing of Dresden in Germany.
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