King Charles III and his wife Camilla will visit France and then Germany from March 26 to 31 for their first state visits, to “celebrate the relationship” between the United Kingdom and these two countries, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday. . This trip, dominated by environmental issues, is their first abroad since Charles, 74, became king on September 8. As crown prince, he has already made thirty-four official visits to France and twenty-eight to Germany.
“This visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “It will also provide an opportunity to look to the future and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany,” the Palace continued, citing in particular the fight against global warming and the response to the conflict in Ukraine.
remembrance ceremony
Charles III, who speaks French, and Camilla will be in France from March 26 to 29. In Paris, they will participate with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, in a ceremony of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe. The King will deliver a speech in the Senate. A state banquet is planned in their honor at the Palace of Versailles on March 27. On March 28, Charles and Camilla will travel to Bordeaux, in the South West. The king will travel to areas devastated by fires last summer and visit an organic vineyard.
“This state visit, the sovereign’s first before his coronation, is an honor done to France and illustrates the depth of the historical ties that unite our two countries,” said the Elysée. “It also symbolizes the relationship of friendship and trust between the President of the Republic and His Majesty the King, who have in the past worked closely together for the protection of biodiversity and the fight against global warming,” it added. .
In Germany, from March 29 to 31, the royal couple will travel to Berlin and then to Hamburg. Charles III will deliver a speech in the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament. He will meet refugees who have recently arrived from Ukraine. In Hamburg, the king, passionate about sustainable development, will discuss green technologies.
Elizabeth II, Francophone and Francophile
Charles III’s first state visits will take place a few weeks before his coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. They will take place a few days after the first visit to France by the head of the British government, Rishi Sunak, on March 10.
Charles’ last visit to France as crown prince was in 2019 when he attended a mass at Bayeux Cathedral to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
Elizabeth II, his mother, who was French-speaking and Francophile, made five state visits to France during her reign, in addition to numerous private visits. The monarch’s most significant visit to Germany dates back to 1965, seen as the moment that sealed the reconciliation between the two countries after the Second World War.
