ROYAL FAMILY
King Charles receives standing ovation after speech in German Parliament
The British monarch made quite a splash on his second day in Germany.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are on their three-day stint in Germany, and so far so good. The king made a speech so impactful at the German Parliament that he received a standing ovation from members in the house.
The trip marks King Charles’ first trip abroad since becoming monarch after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.
Before he even got through the introduction of his speech, the 74-year-old made history as the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, the German Parliament, while it is in session.
The historic speech
King Charles spoke both in English and in German as he addressed the members of parliament, making a pointed strive toward unity. He expressed hope for a bright, shared future, and noted that the unity between the two countries “meant so much to my beloved mother.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the king opened, “I can hardly begin to express the pride I feel in the strength of the partnership between our two countries. Germany, her people and distinctive culture have made such a profound impact on me over so many of my previous visits.”
“Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13 years old,” he continued, “I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. Like many British people, I have close personal ties here — in my case, cherished family relationships and associations that go back generations.”
“For all of us, however, there are countless points of connection and common experience in the British-German story, which has unfolded over nearly two millennia.”
Better together
King Charles then made an attempt at humor while pointing out the strong tourism sector each country has.
“So we are still admiring of each other’s culture; dependent upon each other’s economies; and inspired by each other’s ideas,” he asserted. “More recent generations may think as readily of The Beatles or Kraftwerk, as they do of Brahms or Byron, but the web of cultural connections is as strong as ever.”
“[Together we] can offer a compelling example to the world,” the king said. “Faced with so many shared challenges, the United Kingdom and Germany are together providing leadership to secure our shared future.”
The war in Ukraine
King Charles also praised Germany’s position on the Ukraine conflict amid the war with Russia and said the UK was there to back them up.
“Countless lives have been destroyed,” the king commented in his speech. “Freedom and human dignity were brutally trampled on. The security of Europe is under threat, as are our democratic values.”
“But the world has not stood idly by,” he continued. “We are shocked by the terrible destruction.”
In German, he expanded, “But we can draw from our unity — in defense of Ukraine, peace and freedom. Germany and the U.K. have taken important leadership roles.”
As the largest European donor to Ukraine, we have reacted decisively and taken decisions that might previously have been unimaginable,” King Charles continued. “Germany’s decision to provide Ukraine with such great military support is extremely courageous, important, and welcome.”