The Buckingham Palace announced on Friday, March 3, 2023, that King Charles III will travel to France and Germany for his first state visits since becoming a monarch.
The King’s visit underscores Britain’s efforts to build bridges with its European neighbors following years of strained relations caused by Brexit.
The Palace disclosed that King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are set to visit the European Union’s two biggest countries from March 26 to March 31, 2023, hosted by Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany.
The trip is of utmost significance because it will be the first state visit by a British monarch since 2015, when the late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ mother, stopped traveling abroad in her later years.
“The visit will celebrate the U.K.’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values.
It is also a chance to look forward and show the many ways our countries are working in partnership, whether that be to tackle climate change, respond to the conflict in Ukraine, seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture.″
Buckingham Palace
The announcement came just days after King Charles’ meeting with European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen at Windsor Castle and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a breakthrough in talks to resolve the dispute over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The trip to France and Germany is at the request of the British government and at the invitations of the two governments, the palace said.
The royals will travel first to France, where they will be greeted by President Emmanuel Macron. They will take part in a ceremony of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
King Charles will later meet with members of the National Assembly and Senate and attend a state banquet at the Chateau de Versailles.
The French leg of the trip will also include traveling to Bordeaux, which is home to a large British community.
The royal couple plan to visit an organic vineyard and one of the areas devastated by wildfires last summer.
The French leg of the trip may have a particular significance for King Charles, who is said to have formed a close relationship with Macron because of the two men’s shared focus on protecting the environment and fighting climate change.
An Important European Gesture
King Charles and Camilla are scheduled to travel to Germany on March 29, 2023, where they will be greeted by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The German President opined that King Charles’ decision to travel to Germany and France “is also an important European gesture.”
“I would like to say to him, but of course also to all Britons; We in Germany, we in Europe, want close and friendly relations with the United Kingdom after Brexit as well”
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
In a video message, Steinmeier disclosed that he last met King Charles at Elizabeth’s funeral and invited him to visit Germany. He remarked that Charles’ decision to visit half a year later shows how much the King values the friendship between Germans and Britons.
King Charles plans to address the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. Steinmeier will also host a state banquet for the royal couple.
Charles will also meet with Ukrainian refugees in Germany, visit a joint U.K.-German military unit and travel to Hamburg, where he will visit sustainable energy projects.
While Britain’s royals have ceded most of their powers to the nation’s elected leaders, the aura of the monarchy, the pomp and ceremony of royal visits are still seen as a way to promote the U.K.’s image and bolster ties with nations around the globe.
This role was epitomized by Queen Elizabeth II, who made 121 state visits during her 70-year reign, causing royal historian Robert Hardman to dub her “Queen of the World.”
