King Charles wraps up triumphant state visit to Germany

A version of this story appeared in the March 31 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here.

Another week, another royal trip. This week, we joined King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla as they embarked on their historic first joint state visit abroad.

Chaotic scenes of civil unrest pushed the French government to pull the plug on the first leg of the trip, which had been due to start in Paris on Sunday.

Instead, the royal couple flew into Berlin on Wednesday afternoon with two Luftwaffe Typhoon jets escorting the flight as it entered German airspace. Having traveled on a fair few royal flights over the years, we can’t remember a time when the aircraft received such a reverential welcome. But it should have tipped us off that Germany was going to pull out all the stops in the days ahead.

There was a clear structure to the trip, with day one focused on pomp and pageantry, day two concentrated on politics and the final day centered around reconciliation and the future. The overarching theme illustrated the unshakable bond between the two nations. The royal couple certainly had a packed schedule, but there were a few engagements focused on Ukraine and the environment that spoke to their priorities.

“In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less,” Charles said Thursday while making history as the first British monarch to address the German parliament while it was in session.

By Friday, the weather had taken a turn, but that didn’t dampen spirits. Hundreds of well-wishers braved wet conditions for hours ahead of the pair’s arrival from Berlin at Hamburg Dammtor station at lunchtime. Their patience was rewarded when the King and Queen Consort greeted members of the crowd after viewing the nearby Kindertransport Memorial, a sculpture that commemorates the 1938 rescue of about 10,000 Jewish children from the Nazis by evacuating them to Britain.

The crowds only got bigger as the day went on. Massive numbers turned out at the city’s town hall. While in Germany’s northern port city, Charles and Camilla also visited St. Nikolai Memorial Church, which was destroyed during World War II. In July 1943, Allied forces began an aerial bombing campaign of Hamburg, Operation Gomorrah. In just eight days, 42,000 civilians were killed and 37,000 were injured.

This was always going to be a historic trip for the new British sovereign, but he was under a lot of pressure to get it right. There could be no distractions or slip-ups, especially after the French portion of the trip was scrapped. In the end, it was a faultless visit.

Charles didn’t hold back or shy away from traumatic experiences, both historical and more recent, for the two nations. Given their shared history, there could have been some awkwardness, but he instead acknowledged the complex Anglo-German relationship.

The targeted diplomatic efforts will be welcomed back home by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose government sent Charles on his inaugural state visit. He will have been keen to see if deploying the King’s soft power diplomacy could help reset relations with European partners post-Brexit.

The strategy seems to have paid off. Charles was well received by politicians and the public alike. He was praised in local media, particularly for his firm grasp of the German language.

Many had wondered how Charles would fare on the world stage when he became King, after spending more than seven decades as prince and heir to the throne. This week marked the first opportunity we’ve had to see him interacting as head of state overseas. He showed how adept he is in wielding soft power and being a unifying diplomatic force and representative for Brand Britain.

With contributions from CNN’s Nadine Schmidt and Cristiana Moisescu.?

Watch: What Germans think of King Charles III during his visit

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Hear what Germans think of King Charles III during his visit

02:32 - Source: CNN

Photos of the week

The trip may have been truncated but Charles and Camilla still managed to complete an impressive number of engagements in two cities in two and a half days. Here’s a look back at some of the best bits:

Britain's King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, attend a reception in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, March 31. Hamburg was the last stop on their visit to Germany.

The King and Queen Consort make a toast at their final reception in Hamburg.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, left, and the King speak with Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher as they tour Hamburg's harbor on Friday.

The Queen Consort talks to children during a visit to the Rudolf Ross Grundschule School in Hamburg.

The King greets people Friday outside Hamburg's City Hall.

The King waves from a balcony at Hamburg's City Hall.

Crowds gather outside Hamburg's City Hall ahead of the King's visit.

The King and Steinmeier lay wreaths at a Hamburg church memorial dedicated to the victims of allied bombings during World War II.

The King visits the St. Nikolai Memorial Church in Hamburg.

The King and Queen Consort board a train headed from Berlin to Hamburg on Friday.

The King and Steinmeier try cheese-making during a visit to Brodowin, Germany, on Thursday.

People in Brodowin await the arrival of the King on Thursday.

The King greets soldiers during his visit to the Joint Military Unit at Finowfurt, Germany, on Thursday.

The Queen Consort visits Refugio Berlin and speaks with Diana Strassheim and baby Kuno on Thursday.

The King is joined by Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey as he visits a refugee center supporting displaced Ukrainians.

The King, front center, receives applause after delivering a speech at the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, on Thursday. He said he was proud to be in Berlin to "renew the special bond of friendship between our two countries," and he said the friendship between the two nations "meant so much to my beloved mother," who spoke often of her visits to the country.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes the King to the Chancellery on Thursday.

The King speaks to guests at a state banquet that was held at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Wednesday.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and the King attend the state banquet on Wednesday.

The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are flanked by Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Budenbender, at the state banquet on Wednesday.

The King walks with Steinmeier after planting a tree at Bellevue Palace.

The King and Steinmeier plant a manna ash tree in memory of the King's late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The King attends a green-energy reception at Bellevue Palace.

The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign a guest book Wednesday at the palace.

The King and Steinmeier inspect a guard of honor during a ceremonial welcome at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

The King shakes hands with well-wishers at Brandenburg Gate.

The King and the Queen Consort are joined by Steinmeier and Budenbender at Wednesday's welcoming ceremony.

The King shakes hands after arriving at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Charles and Camilla arrive in Germany on Wednesday.

A German jet escorts the plane of Charles and Camilla on their way to Germany.

People in Berlin wait to greet the King and Queen Consort.

A man fastens a red carpet in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

In pictures: King Charles III's first overseas visit as monarch

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What else is happening?

While all eyes have been on the British monarch and Queen Consort in Europe, earlier this week the Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance at London’s High Court. With this believed to be his first trip home since attending the late Queen’s funeral in September, Prince Harry was in town as his legal action against a UK newspaper publisher got underway. The duke, along with several high-profile individuals including Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, are suing Associated Newspapers Limited for “gross breaches of privacy.”

Prince Harry outside the Royal Courts Of Justice in London this week.

Allegations include planting listening devices in claimants’ homes and vehicles, bugging phone calls, and paying police for information. The publisher has vehemently denied the allegations and was this week trying to get the case thrown out in a pre-trial hearing. Proceedings concluded on Thursday and now it’s up to the judge to decide whether the case should proceed. He did not give a timeline for a decision and said that any draft judgments made in the future will have very limited circulation, given the high-profile nature of the case.

In a toast during the lavish state banquet held in his honor on Wednesday night, Charles paid tribute “to Germany’s extraordinary hospitality in hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees.” The monarch said it “so powerfully demonstrates the generosity of spirit of the German people.”