Following the postponement of the first part of their trip to France, King Charles III and the Queen Consort have arrived in Germany for their first overseas state visit as monarch. They landed at Berlin Brandenburg Airport to a gun salute and a fly-past by two military jets, and were greeted by German officials upon arrival. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife welcomed the royal couple with a full ceremonial welcome at Pariser Platz. The welcoming ceremony took place at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, the first time a head of state has been officially welcomed at this location rather than at Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of the German president. The King and Queen Consort inspected the honor guard and greeted members of the public, who waved German and Union Jack flags, after the national anthems of both nations were played.
On Thursday, King Charles III is scheduled to address the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament. Later that day, he will meet with Ukrainian refugees who have sought asylum in Germany due to the Russian invasion in their home country. The following day, the King and Queen Consort will travel to Hamburg to visit St. Nikolai Memorial, a church that was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II. The King and German president will lay wreaths at the memorial as part of a remembrance ceremony. Despite the delayed start, the purpose of the trip remains to strengthen ties between the UK and Germany after Brexit, and to collaborate on issues such as climate change, the conflict in Ukraine, trade, investment, and arts and culture. Charles previously visited Germany in 2020 as the Prince of Wales to commemorate the country's National Day of Mourning for victims of war.