London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Was the King smiling or crying after first state visit?

Was the King smiling or crying after first state visit?

It's not just the Beatles who can have a good start in Hamburg.

After an inauspicious beginning, when the planned initial trip to France went up in flames, this has proved to be a very successful first overseas state visit for King Charles.

There were no disasters or dramas and Germany gave the King a warm and respectful welcome. He seemed to be relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity to make his own mark as head of state. It was a polished opening performance.

The centrepiece of the trip was his historic speech to the German parliament, the first British monarch to address the Bundestag. It must count as one of the most important speeches of his reign so far.

The event was in Berlin's Reichstag building, a place with history literally on the walls, with Russian graffiti preserved from when it was occupied by Soviet troops at the end of the Second World War.

There was a palpable sense of expectation among the German parliamentarians ahead of the speech, taking selfies as though teenagers waiting for some kind of celebrity to appear.

It was an important moment for the King too, carrying out serious work on behalf of the government, repairing some of the relations with European neighbours that had been frayed by Brexit.

And it seemed to go down very well, with a standing ovation and some affectionate laughter at the jokey parts of the speech, about the Lionesses' football success and comedies like Monty Python.

It was a crowd pleaser to deliver much of the speech in German, but he set out a thoughtful and carefully-judged balance between acknowledging past divisions and then looking forward to a modern alliance.

Even though he is the first British monarch born after the two world wars, there was no way that his visit would not be framed by those conflicts.

It's a difficult area and he spoke of the importance of reconciliation. That included a sensitive reference to those who had died in Hamburg from Allied wartime air raids - and he followed it by later laying a wreath in the city at a memorial for 34,000 who died in air raids 80 years ago.

The King also frequently mentioned another war - the one currently raging in Ukraine.

His language was strong - talking of "unprovoked aggression" against Ukraine - and he highlighted the efforts of Germany in supporting more than a million refugees.

For those looking out for a change in style, this was very direct in its language and its arguments. There was little diplomatic camouflage.

The King's speech to the Bundestag drew much applause


There was also no sign of the King going quiet on his campaigning for environmental causes and promoting green technology. There were so many eco-themes that the state visit seemed to be turning into a sustainability roadshow.

But in terms of ticking off the checklist of the purposes of the trip, there will be some satisfaction.

It was fundamentally about patching up European friendships strained by Brexit and re-establishing a partnership for future challenges.

King Charles, ahead of his coronation, was offered a crown made out of cake


At the state banquet, the German president was blunt about telling the King he thought that Brexit had been a "sad day". But he seemed to be saying that Germany was ready to move on from that row and that it wouldn't jeopardise good relations.

"Many feared that Brexit could make the Germans and the British drift apart. However this did not happen. Too strong are the ties between our countries," said President Frank-Walter Steinmeier - who cited the state visit as evidence of an unbroken friendship.

A much harder question is whether such trips can really turn the dial on public opinion?

It's difficult when so many parts of these visits are held out of reach of the public and behind very tight security and police checkpoints, with scanners, dogs, divers and helicopters. There were more searches than Google to get into the events.

The visit began with a ceremonial welcome at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate


In the language of such security sweeps, areas for visits are made "sterile", but it can also mean in another way that events can feel rather sterile too.

It's been eight years since the last state visit and it raises the question about what should such a modern visit look like? And how do you separate it from being just another touring celebrity?

But there were big crowds who came out into the rain in Hamburg to give the King a very positive reception - and there was plenty of affectionate curiosity from Berliners, watching the royal motorcade thundering past.

There was clearly much goodwill on this German trip - and both sides will be happy, and probably relieved, with the outcome.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×