Did anyone else forget that this week is somewhat busy for the Windsors? I remembered that the Princess of Wales’s Christmas concert will happen on Friday, but I forgot that the German president is undertaking a state visit to the UK, and the royals are putting out the red carpet. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elka Büdenbender arrive on Wednesday, where they will be formally greeted on the tarmac by Prince William and Kate. Much like the Macrons’ state visit and the Trumps’ state visit, it looks like King Charles doesn’t trust William to do anything other than “airport greeting” and “state banquet.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a crucial role in the German state visit to Britain from 3-5 December, welcoming President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender to Heathrow Airport before travelling to Windsor. In a sign of their importance when it comes to matters of diplomacy, Prince William and Catherine will be the first royals that the visiting Presidential couple meet before they are formally welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Royal Dais on Datchet Road.
As is swiftly becoming a tradition for state visits while Buckingham Palace undergoes repairs, the royals will host the couple at Windsor, kicking off the occasion with a carriage procession to the Castle, which will see the President and First Lady joined by the King, the Queen, Prince William, and the Princess of Wales. Upon arriving at the Quadrangle, a Guard of Honour will give a Royal Salute and the regimental band will play the British and German National Anthems for the group of six. The King and the President will then inspect the Guard of Honour, before the group view the military Rank and March past.
After that, it’s time for lunch, as members of the royal family gather in the State Dining Room for a meal with their German guests, ahead of a tour of a specially-designed exhibition of items from the Royal Collection with a link to Germany in the Green Drawing Room. President Steinmeier will then journey to No. 10 Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a group of British and German business leaders. Meanwhile, the First Lady will be in South East London, where she will tour the Judith Kerr Primary School, which is named in honour of the German-born British writer of The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The literary link will not be lost on Queen Camilla, who has long made literature one of her signature royal passions.
Plenty to discuss, then, at what many will consider to be the highlight of the visit: the State Banquet. Always an opportunity for the royal family to display their most dazzling jewels, the Banquet at Windsor Castle could see the Princess of Wales don her finery once more, following similar banquets held for Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron. King Charles and Queen Camilla will be in attendance, with both the King and the President set to deliver speeches before the meal commences. This is not the first state banquet that the King and Queen have enjoyed alongside the German head of state: the royal couple travelled to Berlin in March 2023 for their own state visit, where they were guests of honour at a banquet at Bellevue Palace.
The constant infantilization of William and Kate must stop – “crucial role” and “in a sign of their importance when it comes to matters of diplomacy…” Much like Ken’s job is “beach,” Scooter King’s job is “airport.” Just airport. I’ll even summarize the itinerary for December 4th and 5th, none of which involves William or Kate. The Germans will visit St. George’s Chapel, then they’ll join Charles and Camilla for the Big Help Out, then C&C will show the president the “state sleigh,” a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria. Day 3 will have Steinmeier and Büdenbender doing political discussions in London, then meeting with German footballers (no William on the itinerary) and then a visit to the V&A Storehouse (no Kate on the itinerary, even though she’s the patron of the V&A museum). On Friday, there will also be another royal reception at Guildhall, but Princess Anne and Tim Laurence are hosting the Germans. At some point, hopefully very soon, there needs to be a conversation about the bar being set in hell for Will and Kate when it comes to state visits, soft diplomacy and “entertaining guests.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
