Time.news – Re Carlo III landed in Berlin on his first visit abroad. To accompany him the queen consort Camilla. Tomorrow he is expected at the Bundestag for a speech before the German parliamentarians. “We look forward to meeting all those who make this country so special. It is a great joy to be able to continue deepening the long-standing friendship between our two nations,” Carlo and Camilla wrote in a tweet.
In an armored capital, adorned with British flags, the royal couple will be welcomed in its beating heart, at the Brandenburg Gate, by the head of state Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife. The German Armed Forces Band played James Bond music upon the arrival of King Charles III and the Queen Consort, reports the Bild newspaper.
With great pomp and between extensive security measures, Germany welcomes the royal couple, who have had to cancel their visit to a France grappling with violent social protests. On the streets of Berlin there is already an atmosphere of solemn expectation and curiosity from the citizens who arrived early to be able to access the area reserved for only 1,500 visitors and enjoy the official ceremony in the front row, which will begin around 3 pm.
Both for the two-day stay in Berlin and for the stop in Hamburg on Friday, the last day of the visit, 1,100 police officers and 20 explosives ‘sniffer’ dogs were mobilized, in addition to the closure of numerous roads ordered by the authorities. “The royal couple has expressed a desire to speak directly with Berliners, which does not make the task of the security forces easier,” police director Thomas Drechsler told German media.
The monarch’s decision to visit the country is considered by many as an attempt to build bridges after the Brexit, and Steinmeier called it “an important European gesture”. “This visit underlines the close and heartfelt friendship between our countries and our citizens”, she declared, adding that “today, six years after the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, we open an new chapter in our relationship“, a chapter in which today’s visit “is an important sign”.
In Berlin, while waving to crowds on what is his first state visit abroad, Charles III also commented on the postponement of his visit to France due to protests against pension reform. “It is very sad,” the king told the French all-news channel BFM TV. Charles III’s visit to France was scheduled from last Sunday to today, but at the request of President Emmanuel Macron it was postponed, probably at the beginning of the summer.