King Charles raises a glass to toast historic German state visit as it ends with drinks

King Charles has raised a glass to toast his historic German state visit as it ended with drinks and Eurovision glam-rockers.

The King ended his state visit to Germany with a pint as he celebrated UK ties with the country. 

Earlier, Charles had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Germany‘s President in a symbol of reconciliation as they laid wreaths in remembrance of the victims of war.

In the ruins of a bombed out Hamburg church, destroyed like much of the city by Second World War Allied raids, the King and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stood motionless after leaving floral tributes.

Earlier in the day Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, went on a brief walkabout when they first arrived at the St Nikolai Memorial Church, meeting well-wishers who had gathered in the grounds of the ruined place of worship.

The church’s towering spire was a landmark used by bomber crews as they targeted the city port 80 years ago and has now become a monument against war. 

Coventry Cathedral was also left a shattered ruin after a Second World War bombing raid by the Nazis, and Lutheran Bishop Kirsten Fehrs read the famous Coventry Litany of Reconciliation.

Before reading the poignant words, she told those gathered that ‘at this special place of remembrance’, ‘we stand in solidarity with people throughout the world who strive for reconciliation in the face of violence and war [and we are] deeply grateful for this moment of unity.

‘Let us set an example for understanding peace with the deeply moving and unifying Coventry Litany of Reconciliation.’

Reading from the Litany, she criticised: ‘The hatred which divides nations from nation, race from race, class from class’ and ‘The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own’.

Floral wreaths from the King, the President, and the Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher were already lying in place as the three men stepped forward to symbolically touch them, before taking a step back for a moment of silent contemplation.

The King’s wreath of poppies featured a handwritten card with the poignant message: ‘In everlasting remembrance’ with the same words in German below and the signature ‘Charles R’.

Camilla left her own tribute a single white rose and was dressed in an Anna Valentine coat and dress a Queen Victoria brooch – a wedding gift from Prince Albert.

Code named Operation Gomorrah, after the biblical city destroyed by god with fire and brimstone, the Allied bombing campaign saw Hamburg subject to raids over eight days and seven nights in July 1943, killing 40,000 people.

Earlier Charles and Camilla remembered the thousands of children rescued from Hitler’s Nazi regime when the Queen Consort laid a rose at the ‘Kindertransport – the Final Parting’ memorial statue.

On the last day of their historic state visit, the couple had taken the train from Berlin to Hamburg and travelled the short distance to the monument, which recognises the children transported to safety, including 10,000 sent to the UK.

Charles and Camilla met hundreds of guests in a huge dockside building where Germany’s big Eurovision hope played for hundreds.

Lord of the Lost, an industrial metal band from Hamburg, formed by singer and frontman Chris Harms, will represent Germany with the song Blood & Glitter.

The King shook hands with the group who sported a classic glamrock look, with mohican haircuts, tattoos and make-up and body paint.

Around 1,200 guests, from business leaders who invest in UK charities to British companies selling produce in Germany, were invited and they watched as the King pulled and sipped a pint when he toured some of the food and drink stalls.

Hamburg has a strong association with The Beatles, who cut their performing teeth in the city during the early 1960s, and covers band Silver Spoons played the group’s song I Saw Her Standing There for the royals.

Earlier in the State Visit The King and Queen Consort were greeted by enormous crowds today as they carried out several engagements in Hamburg on the last day of their state visit to Germany.

The royal duo were offered flowers and other gifts by adoring fans who had queued to catch a glimpse of them at Hamburg City Hall, before they went inside to sign the Golden Book in the Emperor’s Hall.

One visitor who had managed to get to the front of the crowd even offered the King an enormous heart-shaped cookie with a turquoise ribbon, which he seemed impressed with. 

Their whirlwind day of engagements also saw the Queen Consort mark the 85th anniversary of the remarkable Kindertransport rescue mission in 1938, which granted 10,000 child refugees entry into the UK from Nazi Germany, by laying a white rose at the memorial.  

The royal looked pensive as she laid the flower on the ‘Final Parting’ bronze sculpture, which was erected in 2015.

The memorial depicts two groups of children – those in the lighter brown representing the children who were evacuated to new lives abroad while those cast in the darker colour represent the thousands of children who were transported by train to concentration camps. 

Created by Frank Meisler, it is one of five such installations across Europe, one of which is at Liverpool Street Station in London. 

Later in their visit, Their Majesties visited a school where the Queen Consort showed off her artistic talents.

Camilla teamed up with Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler to read passages of the iconic book to school children.

She was invited to draw the legendary children’s character herself – and did a more than passable effort. She signed the pencil Camilla R and left it with the class.

Her Majesty was also quizzed by children and revealed last night she watched one of her horses give birth on a feed from home. Asked by children if she spoke German she replied jokingly: ‘Nein!’

She also revealed that her favourite hobbies are gardening, reading and swimming in the sea.

Talking about her hobbies, Camilla said: ‘I used to have horses I rode but sadly I don’t ride any longer.

‘I think I’m too old, but I have race horses. Last night I watched on my screen one of the foals being born, which was very exciting.’

Mr Scheffler said: ‘It is extremely important for children to read and draw as one in five children in the UK do not have a single book.

‘Some children cannot even read or write and it is a big problem.

‘The Queen Consort is very much involved in changing that.’

During their visit, Their Majesties met Nick Teller, the British honorary consul, and chair of the Kindertransport Organisation, Ms Lisa Bechner, who was awarded an honorary MBE in 2022 ‘for services to UK-Germany relations and the British commemoration of the Kindertransport rescue effort’.

Ms Bechner first met the King at a palace garden party before he ascended the Throne.

She said: ‘Even as Prince of Wales the King was very supportive, and people from the Kindertransport scheme memorial meet every five years at Buckingham Palace or St James’s Palace. 

‘Now, with this Royal visit, it is the first time the German government are showing appreciation of the sculptures, and that is why it is important.’

After visiting the memorial, the King and Queen Consort engaged with the crowd, where royal fan Lorenz Bille handed the King a gift – a ship in a glass bottle.

He said: ‘I told the King I have a present for you if you want it and he did.’

Timo Makela, 64, said: ‘I waited here three hours to see the King and Queen. I explained to him that I had seen his son Prince William before and his father Prince Philip.’

The Queen Consort shook hands with well-wishers. A woman called Claudia said: ‘The Queen told me, ‘It’s a bit wet!’ I said, ‘I’m sorry about that!”

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Earlier today, the King and Queen Consort arrived to cheers of ‘God Save The King!’ at Hamburg’s Dammtor station – having made the 1hr 45 minute journey on the train from Berlin.

They were met on the platform by Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of Hamburg, and his wife Eva María and walked downstairs with the mayoral couple, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and is wife Elke Büdenbender and their entourage.

Camilla wore a blue Anna Valentine coat and dress with a sapphire and diamond brooch given to Queen Victoria by German-born Prince Albert on their wedding day.

Crowds waited for them behind cordons inside the station and cheered wildly as the royal visitors appeared, with one man shouting: ‘God Save the King!’

The royal party had taken over a carriage of the train and aides carried off their luggage. 

Outside, the royal couple held umbrellas for the short walk to the Kindertransport memorial.

This morning, the couple left Berlin Hauptbahnhof on a fast train to the port city of Hamburg accompanied by President Steinmeier and his wife. 

Looking elegant in her navy outfit, Camilla proudly displayed her brooch in tribute to German-born Prince Albert, who had secretly commissioned it from jeweller Garrards as a present for his bride-to be.

Victoria was so thrilled with the gift that she wrote in her diary that her adored husband has given her ‘a splendid brooch, a large sapphire set round with diamonds, which is really quite beautiful’.

She even designated it to be a heirloom of the Crown, which means that it has been passed down every Queen Regnant and Consort since.

It was often worn by Queen Elizabeth and has now been given to her daughter-in-law, Camilla, who was today seen wearing it for the first time since her husband’s accession. 

At Berlin Hauptbanhof, royal fans were pictured waiting in the rain wearing waterproof ponchos and carrying Union Jacks hoping to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen Consort.

As the royals arrived at the station and the red carpet was rolled out, heavily armed police officers wearing khaki security vests were seen on the lookout in the area. 

The King stood shoulder to shoulder with Germany’s President in a symbol of reconciliation as they laid wreaths in remembrance of the victims of war.

In the ruins of a bombed out Hamburg church, destroyed like much of the city by Second World War Allied raids, the King and German leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier stood motionless after leaving floral tributes.

St Nikolai Memorial Church’s towering spire was a landmark used by bomber crews as they targeted the city port, but it has now become a monument against war.

Coventry Cathedral was also left a shattered ruin after a Second World War bombing raid by the Nazis and Lutheran Bishop Kirsten Fehrs read the famous Coventry Litany of Reconciliation.

Before reading the poignant words she told those gathered: ‘At this special place of remembrance where 80 years ago under National Socialism this church was destroyed by bombs.

‘We stand in solidarity with people throughout the world who strive for reconciliation in the face of violence and war, deeply grateful for this moment of unity.’

‘Let us set an example for understanding peace with the deeply moving and unifying Coventry Litany of Reconciliation.’

 

Reading from the Litany she went on to say: ‘The hatred which divides nations from nation, race from race, class from class. The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own.’

Floral wreaths from the King, President and Mayor Hamburg Peter Tschentscher were already lying in place and the three men stepped forward to symbolically touch them before taking a step back for a moment of silent contemplation.

The King’s wreath of poppies featured a handwritten card with the poignant message ‘In everlasting remembrance’, with the same words in German below and the signature ‘Charles R’.

 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the British bombing of Hamburg, Operation Gomorrah.

During the Allied bombing raids on Hamburg in July 1943, the church tower was used as a landmark by bomber pilots.

Today’s visit has been designed to symbolise reconciliation, understanding and today’s firm German-British friendship.

In an engagement that no doubt pleased the King, who is passionate about climate conservation, Their Majesties took a boat tour later in the afternoon to an electrolyser site which generates sustainable energy. 

The Royal Couple have now flown back to the UK. 

The trip to Hamburg marked the third day of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla’s first official foreign trip since the King ascended the throne.

It comes a week later than expected after the King’s visit to France last week was postponed due to civil unrest in Paris in response to President Macron’s pension reforms. 

On arrival in Berlin on Wednesday, Their Majesties took part in a walkabout at the Brandenburg Gate, where the King had a hilarious encounter with an adoring fan.

A man wearing a cardboard crown from fast food chain Burger King affectionately offered it to the monarch, telling him: ‘This is for you, if you want it!’

Charles smiled broadly and said: ‘I’m alright!’ He, of course, has a number of real ones at home. He also grinned and declined another crown from a woman who said: ‘I have a present for you!’

The King was also seen bending down to pick up a man’s cap before returning it to him, with the grateful well-wisher thanking him and bowing.

Charles and Camilla – who posed for selfies with fans – were formally greeted at the Brandenburg Gate by President Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Budenbender before the national anthems were played.

Their last engagement of the State Visit was a reception for more than 1,000 people organised by the British Embassy. They listened to a Beatles tribute band in honour of the Fab Four’s links with the German city, and met the country’s Eurovision Song Contest entrants, the heavy metal band Lord Of The Lost. 

In a sign of the importance placed on the visit, the couple were given the first full ceremonial and military welcome at the landmark since the Second World War. Even Queen Elizabeth II, who also visited Berlin for her last ever State Visit abroad in 2015, wasn’t afforded that honour.

While at the Brandenburg Gate, the King expressed his sadness at the postponement of his Paris trip.

That evening, Their Majesties attended a glitzy state banquet held in their honour at Schloss Bellevue, where the King spoke about the shared values held by the UK and Germany and the close ties between the nations.

Camilla was the belle of the ball in a striking black evening dress with silver embroidery by Bruce Oldfield and sported the honeycomb Boucheron diamond tiara, a favourite of the late Queen Mother that was also worn by Queen Elizabeth. 

They dined on marinated carp and watercress, chicken and mushroom with a blackberry malt reduction and a prune and black tea desert, washed down by three different wines or non-alcoholic cocktails. 

During an address to the guests, the King said: ‘Remarkably, I realise I have visited Germany more than 40 times – a measure of the importance of this relationship, of course, but also, I fear, of just how long I have been around! 

‘I also think fondly of the time my wife and I sampled Bavarian sausages at a farmers’ market in Munich, and found ourselves drinking beer and waltzing around at the Hofbräuhaus! I can understand why St Boniface, an English monk, who is famous for having preached in Germany, is also a patron saint of brewers!’

He continued: ‘Over all these years, and in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of the friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in countless areas.

‘It was, Mr President, a friendship which mattered greatly to my mother, The late Queen, who cared deeply about the bond between our two countries.