The King and Queen’s State Visit to Germany gets underway with a twenty-one gun salute and fly-past

The King and Queen have been welcomed to Germany with a twenty-one gun salute and a fly past as the couple’s first ever State Visit gets underway.

Arriving at Berlin-Brandenburg Government Airport on Wednesday afternoon, Their Majesties paused at the top of the aeroplane steps to receive a
twenty-one-gun salute as two military jets carried out a fly past.

The King and Queen were then greeted on the tarmac by State Secretary Dörte Dinger, the Chief of German Protocol at the Foreign Ministry, Till Knorn, and the British Ambassador to Germany, Jill Gallard.

Their Majesties walked along a red carpet lined by a Guard of Honour, provided by the Federal Defence Forces of Germany.

Here, they met a number of dignitaries before setting off for the Brandenburg Gate.

This is the first time the United Kingdom has been received on an official State Visit for almost a decade.

In her final few years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was unable to undertake overseas travel, therefore was not in a position to accept invitations extended to her for State Visits.

King Charles and Queen Camilla State Visit was due to occur across two countries, with the couple due to visit France before they travelled on to Germany.

However, due to ongoing protests and unrest in France, President Macron postponed the visit to his country for another time.

The visit is taking place to celebrate Britain’s relationship with Germany, marking the shared histories, culture and values between the two countries.

This is The King’s 29th official visit to Germany. Queen Camilla has undertaken three official visits to Germany, with the couple last visiting the country in 2020.