The first state visits of the reign of King Charles are going to be to France and Germany Buckingham Palace has announced.
King Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort will travel to the countries on a visit from 26 to 31 March.
President Emmanuel Macron of France will host a state banquet for the royal couple at the Palace of Versailles.
In Germany, the King will be the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German parliament.
The royal couple will also visit memorials to Allied bombing in Hamburg and to young Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis.
As head of state, the King’s official visits are decided on government advice – and these symbolic first overseas destinations will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.
Earlier this week the King met the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, when she visited the UK to announce a deal on Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.
As well as addressing what a Buckingham Palace spokesperson called the “sacrifices and challenges of our shared past”, the European trip will focus on modern challenges, such as climate change and Ukraine.
Buckingham Palace says the trips will “celebrate Britain’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values”.
In France, the King and Queen Consort will process along the Champs Elysees in Paris, before meeting President Macron at the Elysee Palace.
King Charles will address senators and members of the French National Assembly, the first such speech by a member of the British royal family in the French parliamentary chamber.
Source : BBC News
