King Charles gears up to host VIP friends at Windsor

King Charles is brushing up on his German, and it shows. 

The monarch, whose ancestry traces back to Germany on both sides, will host President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, former judge Elke Budenbender, for a state visit steeped in history and pageantry.

This marks Charles’ third incoming state visit this year, following French President Emmanuel Macron and former US President Donald Trump, proving that even a packed royal diary cannot slow him down.

The pomp kicks off on Wednesday with an open-air royal dais in the heart of Windsor, where the King and Queen will greet their distinguished guests before a glittering carriage procession through the town streets to Windsor Castle.

Prince William and Princess Kate will have their moment in the spotlight, welcoming Steinmeier and Budenbender at Heathrow and accompanying them to the Berkshire royal residence.

The following day, Steinmeier will lay flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II in St George’s Chapel before joining the King and Queen for a Big Help Out reception celebrating the impact of volunteers across the UK.

Guests from Germany will also be shown the State Sleigh, designed by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s German-born consort.

Despite ongoing cancer treatment, the King is showing no signs of slowing his schedule, maintaining a brisk pace across Europe and the UK. 

In 2023, he and Queen Camilla visited Germany for his first state visit as monarch and made history as the first British sovereign to address German politicians in a Bundestag session.