King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have touched down in Germany for a state visit.
The monarch and his wife were welcomed at the Berlin-Brandenburg Government airport with a 21-gun salute and two military jets carrying out a fly past.
Charles and Camilla were received by British Ambassador to Germany Jill Gallard.
The British head of state wore arrived in a black double-breasted coat over a white button-down with a blue tie and Camilla complimented his look in a long blue coat with a matching hat, featuring feather details.
Camilla was given a bouquet upon arrival.
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Why are King Charles III and the queen consort in Germany?
Charles and Camilla’s visit to Germany will go from Wednesday to Friday. The visit is meant to celebrate Britain’s relationship and share history with France and Germany as well as discuss ways the countries can support each other to tackle climate change, conflict in Ukraine and more.
The couple is expected to address the national parliament, attend a state banquet and meet with representatives from a German and U.K. joint military unit in Brandenburg. He’s also scheduled to visit the St. Nikolai Memorial, learn about green tech used at port of Hamburg, and wrap up the visit with a reception in Hamburg to be attended by local British community members.
See photos of King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla in Germany
On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla were welcomed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. There, the British monarchs met with several well-wishers.
King Charles and Camilla moved on to the Schloss Bellevue presidential palace, where they both signed the official guest book to mark their visit.
The British head of state was able to honor his mother Queen Elizabeth II by planting a tree with Steinmeier in the garden of the presidential Bellevue Palace as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
Why was Charles and Camilla’s visit to France postponed?
Charles and Camilla were scheduled to go to France for a state visit from Monday to Wednesday, but it was postponed amid unrest in the country and widespread protests over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.
“The King and The Queen Consort’s State Visit to France has been postponed,” Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement Friday. “Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.”
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The original six-day visit to France and Germany, which hold the largest populations in the European Union, was designed to highlight efforts to rebuild relations between Britain and its neighbors after six years of squabbling over Brexit.
But anger over Macron’s resolve to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 is putting a damper on the new monarch’s debut on the international stage. French labor unions called for a day of nationwide protests and strikes on Tuesday, when the king had been set to travel to the western city of Bordeaux, which would have complicated his travel.
The trip would have marked the king’s 35th official visit to France and his 29th official visit to Germany, according to Buckingham Palace. His last visit to France was in 2019, and his last visit to Germany was in 2020.
Contributing: Morgan Hines, Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
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