The King and Queen arrived in Hamburg as they performed their “auf wiedersehen” show to Germany after their first visit to the country, which received a warm welcome.
The couple left Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof station to catch an express train to the port city of Hamburg, accompanied by President Steinmeier and his wife.
Her Majesty, 74, was dressed in a blue Anna Valentine dress and coat on which she had tucked the Queen Victoria’s diamond and sapphire brooch in a kind gesture to their hosts. It was given to Queen Victoria by her German-born husband, Prince Albert, in 1840, the night before their wedding.
Meanwhile, the King looked dapper in a soft blue suit with a white shirt and lilac printed tie, while the Queen Consort looked dapper in a navy blue dress.
The King and Queen Consort arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof train station this morning and were greeted by railway officials as they prepared to board a train to Hamburg on the last day of their German tour.
On their way to Hamburg, Their Majesties met Germany’s chief railway officials at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof station before boarding the train.
Meanwhile, royal fans were pictured waiting in the rain in waterproof gowns to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen, carrying Union Jack flags.
As the royals arrived at the station and the red carpet rolled up, heavily armed police officers in khaki security vests were seen on watch in the area.
Upon their arrival in Hamburg, the King and Queen Consort will disembark at Dammtor station and visit the Kinder Transport memorial.
The visit will mark the 85th anniversary of the first Kindertransporte, where the arch-couple will hear from Britain’s honorary consul, second-generation survivor, and head of Kindertransporte Germany, about the remarkable rescue mission the UK led in 1938 that saved 10,000 children by granting them entry to the kingdom United
Her Majesty the Queen will lay a white rose at the cenotaph to commemorate the rescue mission before heading to St. Nicholas Memorial Church.
Throughout the day, the royal couple will be guided around the city by the first mayor of Hamburg and his wife.
When they arrive at the chapel, the King and Queen will listen to a boys’ choir, before His Majesty will lay a wreath on the steps of the chapel and Camilla will place a flower on each wreath.
After their visit to the church, the royals will go to the Hamburg City Hall and sign the Golden Book in the Emperor’s Hall.
Their Majesties looked relaxed as they sat in the train which was ready to leave Berlin for Hamburg
The king caught the camera’s attention as he boarded the train at Berlin Central Station and prepared to take his seat
King Charles took the train to Hamburg after two days of engagements in Berlin for a royal tour
The King appeared to be joking as he prepared to board the train to Hamburg before a busy day of clashes
The King and Queen Consort smiled as they greeted senior railway officials upon their arrival at Berlin’s main train station
King Charles was smart in a dark blue suit and purple tie as he arrived at the train station this morning
Lovely crowds could be seen gathering behind barriers opposite the station when the king got out of the car
In an engagement that will undoubtedly please the King, who is passionate about climate conservation, their Majesties will take a boat tour later in the afternoon to the site of an electrolyser that generates sustainable energy.
Later in the day they will visit the school before attending a closing reception, and will fly back to the UK this evening.
The trip to Hamburg marks the third day of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s first official overseas trip since the king’s accession to the throne.
This comes a week later than expected after the king’s visit to France was postponed last week due to civil unrest in Paris in response to President Macron’s pension reforms.
On their arrival in Berlin on Wednesday, Their Majesties took part in a tour of the Brandenburg Gate, where the King met an admirer.
A man in a cardboard crown from the Burger King fast food chain affectionately presented the disposable headgear to the king, telling him: “It’s for you, if you want it.”
Charles smiled broadly and said, “I’m fine!” He has, of course, a number of real things in the house. He also smiled and refused another crown from a woman who said, “I have a present for you.”
Security was tight at the train station as armed police could be seen when the King arrived
A police officer, armed and wearing protective clothing, looked on with a pair of binoculars in a sign of a heavy police presence
Adoring fans waited in the rain to catch a glimpse of the monarch and carried flowers and a union flag with his portrait.
The King was also seen stooping to pick up a man’s hat before returning it to him, the grateful owner thanking him and bowing.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Bodenbender, formally greeted Charles and Camilla – who took selfies with fans – at the Brandenburg Gate before the national anthem was played.
In a sign of the importance placed on the visit, the couple had their first full official and military welcome at the landmark since World War II. Even Queen Elizabeth II, who visited Berlin for her last ever state visit in 2015, was not given the honor.
While at the Brandenburg Gate, the King expressed his sorrow that his trip to Paris had been postponed.
That evening, Their Majesties attended a magnificent state banquet given in their honor at Schloss Bellevue, where the King spoke of the shared values between the United Kingdom and Germany and the close relations between the two countries.
Camilla, 75, was the belle of the ball in a stunning black evening gown with silver embroidery by Bruce Oldfield and wearing a diamond honeycomb Boucheron tiara, a favorite of the late Queen Mother that was also worn by Queen Elizabeth.
They dined on marinated carp, watercress, chicken and mushrooms with black malt reduction and a peach and black tea desert, washed down with three different wines or non-alcoholic cocktails.
‘It is remarkable,’ said the King during a speech to the guests, ‘that I realize I have been to Germany more than forty times–a measure of the importance of this relationship, of course, but I am also afraid of the length of time I have had it. around!
“ I also think fondly of the time my wife and I sampled Bavarian sausages at a farmer’s market in Munich, and found ourselves drinking beer and wandering around the Hofbräuhaus! I can understand why Saint Boniface, an English monk, famous for his preaching in Germany, is also the patron saint of brewers!
He continued, “Throughout these years, in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of friendship between our two countries and the vitality of our partnership in countless fields.
Friendship, Mr. President, was of great importance to my mother, the late Queen, who took such a keen interest in the relationship between our two countries.