March 3 (UPI) — Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will make their first state visits in the positions to France and Germany later this month.
The royal couple will make the trip March 26-31 where they will travel to Paris and Berlin.
“The visit will celebrate the U.K.’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values,” the palace said in a statement.
“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.”
In Paris, King Charles is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron for a ceremony of Remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe before processing down the Champs-Élysees towards the Elysée Palace.
He also will meet with members of the French Senate and the couple will attend a State Banquet in their honor at the Chateau de Versailles.
The king and queen consort will visit Bordeaux, a popular British tourist destination, and 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 palace said.
The couple will arrive in Germany on March 29, where they will receive a ceremonial welcome from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Frau Budenbender at the Brandenburg Gate. They also will attend a state banquet.
King Charles will address the German House while visiting the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament. He is also expected to meet with Ukrainian refugees living in Germany.
The trip also includes stops in Brandenburg to visit a joint German/British military unit, and Hamburg, where a visit to the St. Nikolai Memorial is expected.
Queen Elizabeth II’s last state visit to Germany was in 2015 and she visited France the year before. As a prince, Charles made 34 visits to France and 28 to Germany.
The trip comes before King Charles’ formal coronation on May 6. Buckingham Palace previously announced a three-day celebration for the king and queen consort, which will happen at Westminster Abbey.
