The King and The Queen Consort will undertake State Visits to France and Germany.
The King and The Queen Consort’s first State Visit of the new reign, to France and Germany, will take place from Sunday 26th March to Friday 31st March.
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 forwards 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.
As well as speaking to the strength of the United Kingdom’s bilateral relationships with France and Germany, Their Majesties’ visit will include engagements highlighting the importance of sustainability and community – key themes which have been embraced by citizens of all our countries. There will also be opportunities to reflect on the sacrifices and challenges of our shared past, out of which has come an enduring legacy of cooperation and reconciliation.
The visits take place at the request of the British Government and following invitations from the French and German Presidents.
Highlights of Their Majesties programme will include:
In Paris:
Their Majesties will join President and Mme. Macron for a ceremony of Remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe before processing down the Champs-Élysées towards the Elysée Palace. At the Elysée, His Majesty will have a meeting with the President, before travelling to the French Senate, where he will meet Senators and members of the National Assembly. Meanwhile, Her Majesty, together with Mme. Macron, will officially open the new Manet and Degas exhibition at the Musee d’Orsay.
The Royal couple will attend a State Banquet in their honour, hosted by President and Mme. Macron at the Chateau de Versailles.
In Bordeaux:
The King and The Queen Consort will also visit Bordeaux, home to a large number of British residents, and destination of hundreds of thousands of British tourists, where they will mark the opening of the new British Consulate and meet members of the local French and British communities.
His Majesty will witness first-hand the devastation caused by last summer’s wildfires on the outskirts of the city, hearing from emergency workers how they tackled the fires and from the local community about their impact and about restoration efforts.
The Royal couple will also tour an organic vineyard, which has pioneered a sustainable approach to wine making, including generating its own solar energy and capturing and converting the carbon dioxide it produces.
In Berlin:
The King and The Queen Consort will arrive in Germany on Wednesday 29th March where they will receive a ceremonial welcome from President Steinmeier and Frau Budenbender at the Brandenburg Gate.
Their Majesties will be guests of honour at a State Banquet, given by The President and his wife at the Schloss Bellevue.
The Royal couple will visit the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament, where His Majesty will address the House.
Her Majesty, accompanied by Frau Büdenbender, will visit the Komische Oper in Berlin, to learn more about the opera company’s outreach projects and community engagement. Frau Büdenbender is the Patron of the opera house.
His Majesty will meet refugees recently arrived from Ukraine and hear about the support Germany provides for them.
In Brandenburg, His Majesty will meet representatives from a joint German/U.K. military unit with a focus on building bridges using amphibious vehicles.
In Hamburg:
Their Majesties will also visit Hamburg, accompanied by the President and Frau Büdenbender, and will pause for a moment of reflection, as they visit the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church which was destroyed when the Allies bombed Hamburg during the Second World War. His Majesty and the President will lay wreaths during a short ceremony of remembrance.
His Majesty will learn more about the port of Hamburg’s adoption of hydrogen technologies and green energy charging stations, when he meets representative of the firms pioneering these innovations.
The King and The Queen Consort will attend a celebratory reception with Hamburg residents and members of the local British community, accompanied by the President and Frau Büdenbender, marking the end of their State Visit.
