King Charles III says the scourge of war has returned to Europe, as he became the first British monarch to address the German parliament.
On the second day of his first overseas trip since becoming king, the monarch praised the “vital leadership” shown by Germany and the UK in helping Ukraine.
There was also laughter in the Bundestag when the King touched upon the Lionesses’ victory at the Euros.
His speech, in both English and German, was met with a standing ovation.
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King Charles used the occasion to thank the people of Germany for their “extraordinary kindness” when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last September and said his family was “deeply touched”.
His three-day tour of Germany with Camilla, the Queen Consort, began on Wednesday.
It was meant to be the second stop on the trip, but a planned visit to France was cancelled after unrest in several cities over pension reforms.
The King received loud applause at the German Bundestag on Thursday morning for his historic speech, which was mostly delivered in German and referred warmly to his own family ties with the country.
He celebrated the “special bond” between the UK and Germany, and said he hoped to “renew the pledge of friendship between our nations”.
Talking of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the King said: “Since I last spoke in this building, the scourge of war is back in Europe”.
It has left freedom and human dignity “trampled in the most brutal way”, he told the chamber.
King Charles was pitching his speech to the home crowd, but he seemed relaxed and appeared to be enjoying making his own mark in this first overseas trip as head of state.
He also made some cultural references about electronic pop band Kraftwerk, Monty Python and the Beatles during his speech, which were met with laughter. Whether the King really did have Kraftwerk albums or it was a speechwriter hitting Google – it will never be known.
The King noted that the first Shakespeare association was established not in England, but in Weimar, and the music of George Frideric Handel would be playing at his coronation in May.
“The web of cultural connections is as strong as ever,” he said, adding that over the last 50 years “we have laughed together – both at each other and with each other”.
The King also talked humorously about the clashes between both countries on the football pitch, specifically highlighting the Lionesses’ recent win against Germany in the Euros last summer.
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