King Charles has not left the UK since becoming king. He has not traveled to any of the commonwealth nations, he did not travel to the funeral of King Constantine of Greece, and he has not visited any of the countries who will likely become republics under his watch. Last week, there was finally an announcement about Charles’s first overseas trip – he’ll be going to France and Germany at the end of this month. His mother believed in strengthening Commonwealth ties above strengthening ties to European/NATO allies. Charles apparently feels differently, or maybe Brexit really has f–ked up everything and Chaz is being sent to do some soft-diplomacy. Lucky France and Germany.
King Charles will become the first British monarch to address the French senate during next month’s state visit to France and Germany. He will also be the first British sovereign to address German politicians from the Bundestag, reflecting what is believed to be the wish of the host countries to mark the historic trip of the new head of state.
Charles and Camilla will travel to Paris and then continue onwards to Berlin during a six-day tour, which begins on March 26.
Chris Fitzgerald, the King’s deputy private secretary, said the visit was at the request of the British Government following invitations from the French and German presidents. Commenting on the trip, he added: “The visit will celebrate the UK’s relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values. 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.”
“As well as speaking to the strength of the United Kingdom’s bilateral relationships with France and Germany, Their Majesties’ visit will include engagements highlighting the importance of sustainability and community – key themes which have been embraced by citizens of all our countries. There will also be opportunities to reflect on the sacrifices and challenges of our shared past, out of which has come an enduring legacy of cooperation and reconciliation.”
I googled it and apparently Charles is fluent in French but not so much in German. QEII reportedly had some “schoolgirl French” language skills, but she apparently refused to speak German, lest she remind people of her extensive German ancestry. Prince Philip also spoke German quite well (and his sisters were married to Nazis). I would assume that Charles’s public addresses in France will probably be half in French, half in English? I really don’t know. I assume he’ll speak English while in Germany. Anyway, I’m curious to see the reception Charles and Camilla get on their first foreign trip as monarchs. The French people reportedly had great respect for QEII – will that carry over to Charles? Doubtful, although I do imagine that President Macron will lay out the red carpet for Charles.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.
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- The Prince of Wales greets the President of France Emmanuel Macron (right) ahead of their bilateral during the Cop26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.,Image: 640939985, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon
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- Berlin, GERMANY – Britain’s Charles, Prince of Wales, gives a speech during a memorial ceremony at the German parliament Bundestag to commemorate the national day of mourning for the victims of war and dictatorship in Berlin, Germany, 15 November 2020. The British royal couple are scheduled to attend events 15 November on Germany’s National Day of Mourning that commemorates victims of war and fascism, during which Prince Charles is to give a speech at the Bundestag. Pictured: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles BACKGRID USA 15 NOVEMBER 2020 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Berlin, GERMANY – Britain’s Charles, Prince of Wales, gives a speech during a memorial ceremony at the German parliament Bundestag to commemorate the national day of mourning for the victims of war and dictatorship in Berlin, Germany, 15 November 2020. The British royal couple are scheduled to attend events 15 November on Germany’s National Day of Mourning that commemorates victims of war and fascism, during which Prince Charles is to give a speech at the Bundestag. Pictured: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles BACKGRID USA 15 NOVEMBER 2020 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Public at the Memorial Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey in London, UK. Pictured: Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall BACKGRID USA 29 MARCH 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Sandringham, UNITED KINGDOM – Members of the Royal family attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, UK. Pictured: Princess Charlotte, Camilla, Queen Consort, King Charles III BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- King Charles III, accompanied by Camilla Queen Consort and members of the extended Royal Family, attend the traditional Christmas Day morning service at St. Mary Magdelene Church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort Where: King’s Lynn, Norfolk, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2022 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK**
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- King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort visit to Bolton Town Hall to join a reception to meet representatives from the community, as part of a visit to Greater Manchester. Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort Where: Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom When: 20 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- The Queen Consort, joined by King Charles III, hosts a reception at Clarence House in London, for authors, members of the literary community and representatives of literacy charities, to celebrate the second anniversary of The Reading Room. Featuring: Camilla Queen Consort, King Charles III Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 23 Feb 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
At government request which means government funded. Wonder what value the UK taxpayers will get for their money.
That was confusing. It said the visit was at the request of the British government, following invitations from the German and French presidents. So how was it a request if they’re also saying there were invitations first? If they really were invited first, wouldn’t the French or German govt pay for it? Guess I’m confused how it all works.
The German and French governments extend a formal invitation to the British government. The British government “requests “ that the monarch accept the invitation. That is how it is both an invitation by the foreign government and a request by the British government. Of course request is just a polite way for saying the government is sending the monarch. It’s not like they have much choice in whether or not to go.
Knowing the brf they probably requested to go there and upon receiving the invitation will send the bill for the costs of their trip (not a tour, a business trip) to France and Germany to cover all the costs. Just how Peggy and Kkkatie invited themselves to Boston in the United States then made them cover all their expenses they tallied up.
@cessily, yes, the Waleses invite themselves, probably more often than not. I remember hearing rumors that the Luxembourg family was not happy at all that Kate invited herself for one trip that really inconvenienced the Royals.
Also, it is not sure that a requesting country will get the Royal they want. Back when William went to China, it was revealed that the Chinese government had actually requested Harry but, well, I guess William wanted to go. So William went.
Queen Elizabeth was very fluent in French. There’s video of her at a G7(?) summit where she has a conversation in French with the French President at a cocktail reception, which is way tougher than scripted speech. Its from the George Bush I era
I was wondering about who actually initiates these. I find it hard to believe France and Germany just decided they would like a visit by the King of England. Commonwealth countries I can almost understand. Almost.
“seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture.”
If trade and investment opportunities with Europe are wanted, why did the UK BREXIT?
Very confusing.
I don’t think trade issues had much to do with brexit. The slogan was Take Back Control. I read an article that said that this slogan may have appealed strongly to some older people because when you get older you can tend to feel that you are losing control over your body, your mind, your life. The thought that by using your vote you might be able to take back control over something might have been attractive to some. And some may have believed that once the U.K. left the EU that the billions of euros that we were paying to the EU annually would be redirected into the NHS as they were mistakenly told. It was a democratic referendum which Leave won by a small margin 52% to 48%. I blame David Cameron – who like many Tories wanted the U.K. to remain in the EU – for choosing to hold a referendum in the first place.
Equality this is what I was talking about on Sunday. It appeared on Facebook that they were going and the last time I looked before there were 200 comments all of them saying things like bye, don’t hurry back, or going home to Germany are you and “are you coming back in a rubber dingy. They are not as popular as the Royal rats like us to think
It sucks to be France and Germany. Two modern countries stuck with spending time and resources on some guy who thinks he is a king. Perhaps they should stop playing along with this ridiculousness.
I guess France should be concentrating on sorting out their strikes. I could not believe it when I read that the French retirement age is still only 62. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/unions-seek-bring-france-halt-block-pension-reform-2023-03-07/
Hard for me to imagine any country keeping a straight face when these two visit. Imagine parading your tart around as if she has an ounce of decency. In the name of diplomacy I suppose this was inevitable but I can hear the whispers now.
Does Camilla look horrific in the photo where she’s in the brown coat to anyone else? The look on her face with her brown teeth belong in a horror movie. Zoom in if you dare.
Looks like a stalker for sure. …
Every new picture I see of them is even creepier than the last.
The stitches are her coat evoke Frankenstein’s monster.
Fitting, as she’s Charles’s monster.
The Raft of the Medusa with Camilla at the helm had at least 146 men and 1 woman on board when the tow rope was cut and the cannibalism, murders, fighting, and tossing of live and dead bodies overboard started. 13 days later only 15 survivors were found alive when they were accidentally rescued.
Harry and family were wise to embark on a Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Mendelssohn 1828) to a former Spanish colony long before the tow rope was cut.
I mean, the French won’t bat an eyelid. I think Macron is about the only President of France to not openly have a mistress. Europeans tend to get less annoyed about matrimonial fidelity in their leaders.
He’s definitely being sent over as he’s seen at the ‘good cop’ in Brexit stuff – most of Europe thinks (quite rightly) that our government are right-wing clowns. Please see this as the pathetic irony it is, when our King – who is not the brightest bulb in the box – is seen as the savvy one of our leaders.
Six days is a long time for just two countries (no matter how large France and Germany are). I’m curious to know what Francophone and German Celebitchies think the reception will be for these two?
And of course, I’m mostly interested if there will be state (tiara) occasions!
German ones are not amused. What is the point? GB wanted nothing to do with EU and now first countries they visit are in the EU?
This german celebitchy does not want her taxes to pay for this troll’s vacation.
We have no use for these idiots here, we got our own idiots already thankyouverymuch.
Same! We never want to see a member of this evil family in Germany again! The only ones we welcome with open arms are Meg+Harry!!!
Do royals wear their tiaras when visiting republics? I thought they only wore tiaras when visiting other monarchies.
I think it depends on the occasion, eg if it’s white tie (which is a tiara event) or not? I think also that state banquets are white tie regardless of the system of government, but I’m sure others can correct me…
Not an expert, but I believe tiaras are worn at state dinners. Macon will be hosting a state dinner for C&C, so I think yes there will be tiaras.
It depends on the royal involved, but yes several queens appear to have a policy of not wearing tiara’s when visiting republics.
As to state banquets being white tie that also depends on the country. For example in the US and Germany black-tie is treated has the most formal dress code so nothing is ever white tie
All of his work could be undermined in just one moment with Camilla gossiping and bad mouthing leaders like she did Biden.
It’s gross how none of the Tory puppets who forced Brexit will take real accountability for it now. Is this their way of holing to fix it while never admitting they got it so wrong? The two sided double speak on Brexit makes Trump look honest.
I believe the royals wanted Brexit too. The major hype was ‘we’re taking back our sovereignty’. Now the UK is financially weaker but they have their sovereignty and it seems the Tories are having a field day with the rampant corruption and xenophobia. The sewage in the Thames would not have been accepted if they remained in the EU. EU environment regulations would have likely restricted that.
My favorite detail about this trip is that Macron will host Charles’ state dinner at Versailles. A quick reminder …
what did France do with their monarchy? See all of that ostentation? It belongs to France now, not to a monarch, and the French royal tourism sites out earn the British royal tourism.
These inbred imbeciles will miss that message, guaranteed. Chuckles is just delighted to be rolling around as KING, finally.
I’ve been to Versailles twice and it is mind blowing stunning. Pristinely kept and worth every penny. I can’t think of any royal property that could compare. Not even Buckingham palace.
Still, all of those royal estates could be turned into tourist attractions and made available for rental for businesses and parties. But only after hundreds of millions are spent on renovations.
Does anyone know when Versailles became a tourist attraction and what they did to set it up to be one?
Don’t know when it became a tourist attraction but by the early 1970s, it had fallen into pretty serious disrepair–leaking, busted pipes, vermin, peeled paint. The Battle of Versailles was a major fundraiser that brought lots of attention and money to Versailles. 5 French designers: Marc Bohan for Dior, Yves St Laurent, Emmanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, and Hubery de Givenchy put on a show against 5 American designers: Halson, Anne Klein, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and Stephen Burrows. It was a mega society tiara event, with luminaries like the Rothschilds and Grace Kelly in attendance. The Americans, with their 25 minute show full of black models and streamlined fashion made the French 2 hour spectacle with massive props and ballet look fusty and dated. The show brought attention to American fashion in Europe, and to Versailles. Versailles went through a major renovation, which only helped it gain popularity as a tourist attraction.
The royal palaces would bring in a lot of money as tourist attractions–especially if they could be open year round. The royal family doesn’t really bring revenue to the UK–the idea of the royal family through the palaces on display and the history does.
Oh I love that. Touché.
Will they eat cake 🤔
😂 🎂
A lot of word salad going on here. It sounds like the whole thing was cooked up by the British (Tory) government to smooth relations post-Brexit. I can’t imagine two nations who have rejected monarchy being super “keen” to hear from a British monarch who has to beg people to come to his coronation.
This trip points to the future and seem like a good political move.
After doing the unprecedented by leaving an established market to the detriment of most of its population, the UK is ???
This is where the strengths of a skilled Head of State should be directed.
Until recently there have been a shared economic tie and always an historicité one allbeit ondulating.
A sensible décision on the part of the government, would be interesting how the media respond.
I wonder if either of the Walses speak a second language. It takes work and we know how they are about work…
Why do his fingernails look like that? Have they always looked that way?
Anyways, the UK has lost quite a bit of relevance on the global stage so the government needs this trip since they royally screwed up with Brexit. Roll out Charles for some pageantry. I’m not sure, it will help their post Brexit economic agenda but I think it will be something for the Tories to sell to the people as propaganda of ‘Brexit is good’, see the UK is important because major European leaders are rolling out the red carpet for Charles’ state visit. Many Brits love royal pageants so the state visits will likely soothe them for a bit – how long remains to be seen. Charles is not QE II so …….
Just imagine if they had Harry and Meghan to send around the world attending events. The royal family would look exciting and modern instead of fusty and old. They lost their best ambassadors, whose popularity could have lifted the Wales and the magesty folks. Knowing what we know now, I wouldn’t wish the royal family’s shennanigans on Harry and Meghan. There would have been a lot of misery behind the scenes that I’m glad they will no longer be subject to.
I honestly wonder how much Chuck wants to travel. He doesn’t look that healthy for 74. He’s 6 years younger than Joe and looks older (IMO). I know his parents lived forever, but I don’t see that in him.
If I lived in France or Germany I’d be upset that I had to pay for these two to visit. Maybe France can give them tips to increase tourism with no monarchy…
That rosacea in his face is very severe, and his hands are horrific-looking. Bad digestion and/or heart issues.
Because it is a bad idea when cousins marry
Keep a sharp lookout in all photos for symptoms of Alcohol Ataxia in both of them, basically walking like a drunken sailor, standing still with feet apart and knees bent for balance. Thrones to sit on for formal Royal photos are few and far between in France and Germany.
Camilla’s a poor traveller too. Neither one of them look that healthy. I can’t imagine the state of that dipsomaniac’s liver.
“Camilla’s a poor traveller too.”
Camilla’s weekly telephone calls to her Russian handlers undermining Diana’s marriage to Charles would all have been legitimately intercepted for decades and shared with like minded anti-Russian security services.
US border control officials with their amazingly thorough computer systems probably gave Camilla a thorough shellacking in 1999 when Mark Bolland arranged her anti-Diana reign of terror high society visit to New York City.
It seems unlikely that Camilla has a fear of flying. Camilla more likely gets stress diarrhea at the sight of any border control computer containing summaries of her decades of weekly telephone calls to her Russian handlers undermining Diana dead or alive and now undermining Harry and Megan.
“Camilla’s a poor traveller too.”
Looking forward also to the stress diarrhea explosion at the State Banquet Table at Versailles when former teacher Brigitte Macron turns to Camilla and asks about Camilla’s education line in the biographical briefing note circulated to all and sundry during the France and Germany visit: ONE O LEVEL APPARENTLY IN KENNEL HYGIENE.
France’s old guard at the political, diplomatic and administrative level is practically a monoculture of enarques — elite graduates of the highly competitive exam based Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA) closed in 2021 by Emmanuel Macron and replaced by INSP.
Germany’s old guard at the political, diplomatic and administrative level is a high level academic mix of different disciplines, mostly people with Doctorates at a minimum, hardly any of them in bird courses. Angela Merkel has a Doctorate in Quantum Chemistry. Ursula von der Leyen is a Physician.
Brigitte Macron may well ask about Camilla’s Final Exam in that SINGLE O LEVEL APPARENTLY IN KENNEL HYGIENE — did Camilla pass her single Final Exam in KENNNEL HYGIENE brandishing a mop and bucket? Or was Camilla’s pinnacle of academic triumph in KENNEL HYGIENE achieved in the school laboratory with a suite of blinded test tubes, performing differential diagnoses for Parvovirus, for Canine Distemper, and for Kennel Cough?
Cough, cough…
France and Germany are their two biggest and most important allies. I think it’s customary for new monarchs to do a tour of some sort, but they generally visit other monarchs.
The reason Germany is on Chucks radar??
Where will the Invictus Games be in 2023?
Düsseldorf
9-16 September 2023. Initiated in 2014 by Harry, Duke of Sussex, the Invictus Games will be held in Germany for the first time in 2023. The German Armed Forces and the City of Düsseldorf are proud to jointly host this unique international sports festival.
He did not make the decision, he goes where the sitting government sends him as Head of State.
@well wisher, not always true. I don’t think Boston solicited the visit by the Waleses for Earthshot. Kate and the British government invited her to Luxembourg, not the foreign government.
They invite themselves sometimes to suit themselves and their agendas. My first thought when I heard that Charles and Camilla would be going to Germany was: Let’s overshadow Invictus.
“SEIZE trade and investment opportunities”…… wonder what they plan on stealing this time😒
Sounds like they want to roll their bus over other monarchies and countries to “take” away something from someone else (probably from ones that have been actively cultivating relations with these two countries). They just want to roll in and steam-roll. Don’t trust these two.
The UK needs to mend some fences with the EU and it makes sense to have good relations with your neighbors. If Charles can add some value with soft diplomacy, I don’t see the problem. He doesn’t really have any other purpose and it’ll do him good to think about something else other than his greedy family and his vendetta against H&M.
Camilla is not a monarch. Charles is. It would be his first trip as monarch, and hers as consort to the monarch. That said, I would wonder if Charles would try to name her co-monarch so she could inherit. Charles is now called Charles Parker Bowles on some posts on Twitter.
He couldn’t if he wanted to. I don’t get why so many people think the current monarch of Britain has absolute power. And not just absolute power, but an amount of absolute power that no monarch — even ones called “absolute monarch” by historians — has ever had.
Mostly I’m excited to see how the French tabloids will cover this visit. Hope they get translated. C’est la vie.
Am I the only one who read this and thought, “but they are not supposed to be political?” He will be talking to politicians? KFC will be “the first British monarch to address the French senate”, and he will be “the first British sovereign to address German politicians from the Bundestag.” The discussion “whether that be to tackle climate change, respond to the conflict in Ukraine, seize trade and investment opportunities …” Aren’t those political issues?
Please let me know if I have missed the plot.
They do what the government tells them. It’s why Queen Elizabeth had to host Idi Amin and later on, Trump (even though I think the royal family is much more in sympathy with trumpism than they were willing to show). Chuck and Bridy of Chucky could end up hosting Victor Orban of Hungary, Erdogan of Turkey, the president of Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria. It could be a Dictator’s Parade in and out of Buck House. Couldn’t happen to a better group of people.
I have a really hard time believing the French liked someone from the English monarchy. (English used here on purpose.) France and England historically hate each other’s guts, and it’s almost entirely England’s fault.
PPhilip was fully fluent in French – saw an interview of him once conducted in French, and was shocked, but I guess he spent a lot of his childhood in south of France and conversed in French then.
QE2’s French seemed better than child’s French but I only really saw her reading a speech, don’t know if she could converse easily.
Queen Elizabeth was fluent in French, she never used an interpreter for visits to France. Check President Macron’s announcement televised after her death.