It would be quite unusual: his first trip abroad could Charles III. may not lead to a Commonwealth country, but to France – as a sign of solidarity with Europe. In the meantime, the new monarch probably wants to cut costs in the royal house itself.
In order to strengthen bilateral relations after Brexit, the first state visit is to welcome the new King Charles III. lead to France. At least that’s what the Telegraph reports. The British Foreign Office is very keen to use the monarchy’s diplomatic powers to strengthen bridges to its most important European neighbors after leaving the EU, the paper writes. The trip, which should take place as early as next month, may therefore also lead to Germany.
Charles was invited to the funeral ceremonies for Queen Elizabeth II by both French President Emmanuel Macron and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Germany was one of the last countries where the Queen paid a state visit with her husband Prince Philip in 2015. Since then, there have been no official foreign trips by the head of state as the Queen increasingly suffered from mobility problems.
According to media reports, the new king is planning to downsize the royal family. The conservative tabloid “Daily Express” reported that in the future, in addition to Charles and his queen Camilla, only heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Princess Kate, Princess Anne and Prince Edward with his wife, Countess Sophie, will play a role.
According to a survey commissioned by “Express”, this is very popular with the population: only around a third of those surveyed would like Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan to return to the inner circle of the royals. 57 percent expressly do not want that.
The survey shows great goodwill among the British for their new royal couple. 63 percent of those surveyed are convinced that Charles got off to a good start as a monarch. Even 69 percent were confident that he would be a good king. 58 percent trust Camilla to shine in the role of king’s wife. Two-thirds (66 percent) of Britons support the monarchy as a form of government. After all, almost a quarter (22 percent) want to abolish them.
However, plans for a slimmer royal family could affect other officials. The PA news agency quoted a letter from Royal Treasurer Michael Stevens as saying that “a very small minority of employees (less than 20) who have personally served Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” could lose their jobs. The Guardian newspaper had previously reported that up to 100 employees at his previous residence, Clarence House, could be laid off due to Charles’ rise to the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8th and was buried on Monday after a state funeral at her Windsor Castle residence. Charles reportedly flew to his country home in Scotland on Tuesday to mourn his mother privately.
The first thing a new British monarch usually does is visit a Commonwealth country where he is the head of state. However, after Charles took office, it was already said that he would travel to Europe first. Accordingly, a visit to Australia and New Zealand is planned for spring 2023. The Foreign Office in London has the last word on royal travel.
The Telegraph reports that Charles got along very well with French President Macron. In addition, the king could then focus on the tree planting project in Africa known as the Green Wall, which is intended to combat climate change. It is endorsed by both Charles and Macron.
