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 2023.
The visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values. It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the U.K. is working in partnership with France and Germany, 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 U.K.’s bilateral relationships with France and Germany, Their Majesties’ visits 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 State Visit Programme
Their Majesties will travel to France on Sunday 26th March until Wednesday 29th, undertaking engagements in Paris during that time and on Tuesday 28th, visiting Bordeaux. Highlights of their French programme will include:
-
The King and The Queen Consort will join President and Mrs. Macron for a ceremony of Remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe;
-
His Majesty will address Senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate;
-
Her Majesty, together with Mrs. Macron, will officially open the new Manet and Degas exhibition at the Muséed’Orsay;
-
Their Majesties will be guests of honour at a State Banquet hosted by President and Mrs. Macron at the Chateau de Versailles;
-
His Majesty will witness first-hand the devastation caused by last summer’s wildfires on the outskirts of Bordeaux, hearing from emergency workers and the local community about their experiences;
-
Their Majesties will mark the opening of the British Consulate in Bordeaux and meet members of the local French and British communities;
-
The Royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which has pioneered a sustainable approach to wine making.
Their Majesties will arrive in Berlin on Wednesday 29th March. On Thursday 30th, they will undertake engagements in Berlin and Brandenburg, before heading to Hamburg on Friday 31st March.
In Germany, highlights of their programme include:
-
A ceremonial welcome by President Steinmeier and Frau Büdenbender at the Brandenburg Gate;
-
Their Majesties will be guests of honour at a State Banquet, hosted by the President and his wife at Schloss Bellevue;
-
His Majesty will address the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament;
-
His Majesty will meet refugees recently arrived from Ukraine and hear about the support Germany provides for them;
-
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;
-
In Brandenburg, His Majesty will meet representatives from a joint German/U.K. military unit and see a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles;
-
In Hamburg, Their Majesties will visit the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church which was destroyed when the Allies bombed the city 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 green technologies, meeting representatives from some of the firms involved.
-
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.
