German State Visit: King Charles gives impressive speech at Windsor state banquet

Duchess Sophie delivered a refined display of royal poise at Windsor Castle this evening as she arrived for the state banquet in support of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Often described as the backbone of the monarchy, the 60-year-old once again stepped up for the Firm, accompanying her husband, Prince Edward, at the high-profile diplomatic event.

The King said the UK and Germany stand “shoulder to shoulder” as he hailed the “special friendship that binds our two nations”.Delivering a speech at the state banquet in honour of the German President, Charles called for the countries to “renew our shared determination to face the future together - with honesty, and in deep friendship”.

He also reflected on his and Camilla’s state visit to Germany in 2023, the first of his accession, and joked about the football rivalry and the differences in the British and German sense of humour.

Queen Camilla brought a striking touch of royal glamour to Windsor Castle this evening as she stepped out in a regal ensemble. King Charles and the Queen are hosting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender at the Berkshire royal residence in an important diplomatic visit.

Camilla's striking teal Fiona Clare gown shimmered under the lights of Windsor Castle, showcasing the designer’s signature structured elegance. The dress featured a rich jacquard fabric with a subtle metallic sheen, creating a regal silhouette perfectly suited to a state occasion.

The Princess of Wales stepped out this evening in a breathtaking ball gown and a glittering diamond tiara to attend the state banquet held to welcome the German President and First Lady. The King and Queen are hosting President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender at Windsor Castle until Friday, marking the start of an important diplomatic visit.

A stunning picture of the Prince and Princess of Wales has been released this evening, ahead of tonight's glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle. Posting the photo to social media before the royal procession, Kensington Palace gave fans a sneak peek of their outfits. 

One of the highlights of a state visit is the glittering banquet that takes place on the evening of the first day. Over 100 guests will be invited to join the royal hosts and guests of honour for a three-course dinner in the impressive St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.

The white-tie dinner will be extra special tonight, as the stunning venue has received a festive makeover, featuring a 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree with over 3,000 twinkling lights and shimmering green and gold ornaments. But the guests, which include politicians, celebrities and dignitaries, will be looking forward to tucking into a delicious feast. 

Footage of the King and Queen inspecting the state banquet has been released by the Palace. At the back of the room, an eye-catching 25-foot high Christmas Tree dressed with thousands of twinkling lights stands tall in St George's Hall.

King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Germany's President and First Lady to the UK for a state visit on Wednesday, and celebrated their arrival with many special customs. Among these were being met at Heathrow Airport by the Prince and Princess of Wales, watching a Guard of Honour and listening to performances by regimental bands.

Another classic moment of any state visit is the gift exchange, which sees both the hosts and the visitors give one another tokens to commemorate the visit. There have been some truly incredible presents exchanged in the past, and this occasion was no different.

The Royal Family couldn’t have asked for better conditions to welcome the German President to Windsor Castle today.

Brilliant sunshine shone down on the event, matching the warm relations between the Royal Family and their guests.

And the golden carriages glistened as they arrived in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle.

The King and Queen chatted with the President and First Lady like old friends, chatting amiably and laughing throughout the day.

The affections between the two countries will be showcased tonight when the King and President deliver speeches as a state banquet is hosted in Steinmeier’s honour.

The state visit by the President and First Lady of Germany marks the first time three state visits have been held in the UK in almost 40 years.

Ms Steinmeier follows the visits of French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump in July and September, respectively.

But the King is not the first monarch to host three state visits in a year.

Queen Elizabeth II hosted three in 1988: King Olav V of Norway in April, President Keenan Evren of Turkey in July and ⁠President Abdou Diouf and Madame Diouf from the Republic of Senegal in November.

The Princess of Wales said that an exhibit of German Meissen porcelain was “beautiful” as she examined the display with Prince William, following a private lunch with the German President and his wife.

The King and Queen took their German guests to the Green Drawing Room to see a special collection of items from the Royal Collection linked to Germany.

The Prince of Wales, with the Princess of Wales, who was wearing a black Burberry dress with a pearl necklace, also joined them, as did the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

William and Kate stayed by each other's side throughout as they viewed the five different tables of artefacts from the Royal Collection.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife were also shown a Christmas Eve entry in Queen Victoria's diary from 1850 in which she described how her children were delighted with their Christmas tree. Victoria and Albert were responsible for popularising the German tradition of Christmas trees in Britain.

The guests also saw a photograph of Victoria's own tree and presents from 1857.

The Princess of Wales stunned fans today as she took on a key role in welcoming the German President and his wife to the UK.

Princess Catherine dazzled in a blue ensemble as she chatted to her German guests at Heathrow airport before heading to Windsor.

Fans loved the future Queen’s look and took to social media to praise her.

One user wrote on X: “Love seeing the coat and hat again. The jewellery selection, especially the brooch, is so strong it reminds me of QE 2.”

Another one said: “Just epic! The sleek silhouette, perfect fit head to toe, and the colour!!”

A third one commented: “Love the Royal Blue on her. She looks great.”

Catherine wore a blue coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, with a matching hat, her hair down and straight, and earrings which belonged to William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and a Prince of Wales Feathers brooch.

The King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, took their German guests to view a special exhibition in the Green Drawing Room of Windsor Castle.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also them.

The exhibition featured items relating to Germany from the Royal Collection

The Princess and Princess of Wales have shared a new video showing moments from today's greeting and official welcome of the German President and his wife.

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender have now entered Windsor Castle alongside the royal party for a private lunch in the State Dining Room.

The group will then head to the Green Drawing Room, where they will view a special exhibition of items relating to Germany from the Royal Collection.

Queen Camilla shared a sweet moment with Princess Catherine, as she and Prince William welcomed the German President and First Lady to the UK for a state visit.

After greeting Frank-Walter Steinmeier and wife Elke Büdenbender at Heathrow Airport, the group travelled to Windsor Castle to meet the King and Queen.

As William and Catherine took their place to the side, the Princess dropped into a respectful curtsey, but the gesture was initially missed by Camilla as she was speaking to the First Lady.

One of the horses during today’s march past in Windsor for the German President’s official welcome to the UK appeared to be out of control following the King and Mr Steinmeier’s inspection of the Guard of Honour.

Just as the Life Guards, a unit in the Household Cavalry, were starting to march in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, one of the horses appeared to be giving its rider a difficult time as they began the route.

The horse kept getting out of the queue and jumping back and forth before settling down and continuing with the march past.

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Windsor with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender, where they were met by the King and Queen on the red-carpeted Royal Dais, with Charles greeting the president with a warm handshake.

Mr Steinmeier told the King "it's so wonderful to see you again" before giving a hearty chuckle.

Kate smiled and curtseyed at Camilla, but thinking the Queen had not seen her, did another curtsey just in case when the Queen looked her way.

A 41-gun royal salute was fired from the East Lawn within the Windsor Home Park, timed to coincide with the welcome.

The royal party and their guests stood for the playing of the German national anthem.

The King and Queen arrived at the Royal Dais in the centre of Windsor, close to Windsor Castle, as they prepare to greet the President of Germany.

Charles and Camilla were met with a royal salute from the waiting Sovereign's Escort and the national anthem, played by a military band.

The King opted for a classic dark overcoat amid the chilly December air while the Queen was dressed in a sapphire blue silk dress, with a sapphire blue cashmere top stitch coat by Anna Valentine and a matching feathered hat by Philip Treacy.

Camilla, wearing black boots and gloves in the chilly air, also wore a sapphire and diamond brooch that once belonged to Queen Victoria.

The final touches are done at Windsor Castle as the Prince and Princess of Wales are shortly expected to arrive with their German guests for their official welcome to the UK.

The Guard of Honour has already arrived in the Quadrangle of the castle. It is one of the oldest regiments in the British Army, dating back to the 17th century.

The regiment will give the royal salute upon the guests' arrival. A royal salute will also be fired at the Tower of London.

Princess Catherine flew the flag for British fashion today as she stepped out in a stunning Burberry dress, layered beneath a tailored coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

She finished her look with a glittering pair of sapphire drop earrings that once belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, along with the iconic Feathers Brooch pinned to her lapel.

The heirloom, which features the three plumes of the Prince of Wales feathers, is reportedly worth over £100,000 and was originally given to Diana by the Queen Mother as a wedding gift in 1981.

Prince William and Princess Catherine have greeted their German guests at Heathrow Airport.

The royal couple exchanged handshakes and pleasantries with their guests around 11.30pm before greeting the German delegation.They will now lead them to the motorcade for Windsor Castle.

Catherine looks stunning in a blue Alexander McQueen coat and a hat in a darker blue shade.

Members of the public have already started to secure their place along the procession route outside Windsor Castle.

Metal barriers have been erected along the route, while sand covers the road to provide protection for the horses that will soon pull the carriages.

This state visit is different from the of Donald Trump, when the public were unable to catch a glimpse of the US President due to security concerns.

This time, police are expecting over 3,000 members of the public to line the streets and wave as the carriage procession passes by.

Windsor Castle is all ready to welcome German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, former judge Elke Budenbender.

After the pomp and pageantry this morning, the Germans will be treated to a glittering state banquet in Windsor Castle’s St George's Hall, which this time will feature quite the backdrop.

The six-metre (19.6ft) Nordmann fir, which has been decorated for Christmas at Windsor Castle, has been illuminated with 3,000 lights and decked out in shimmering green and gold ornaments and stretches up to the vaulted ceiling, with garlands adorning the room's balconies.

Some 160 guests will dine on a nearly 50-metre-long (164ft) mahogany table which runs the entire length of the hall. They will also be served a bespoke cocktail created specially for the occasion - a tradition started by the King.

Several roads will be closed between 9am and 3pm today, along with two taxi ranks in the town.

Airspace restrictions over Windsor are also in place today and tomorrow, along with other parts of east Berkshire, south Buckinghamshire and north Surrey.

Security isn't as tight as Trump's visit in September, which saw a wooden fence erected around the Castle.

The royal state visit isn't the only thing happening today, as the special holiday episode of Meghan Markle's Netflix show has just dropped on the streamer.

From Christmas crafts to festive feasts, the Duchess of Sussex’s holiday special is brimming with Christmas cheer. The hour-long episode, released on the streamer at 8am today, sees the former working royal embrace UK festive traditions and share sweet anecdotes about her two young children.

Team Sussex insists the date was set by Netflix and was in the diary way before the state visit was announced.

Typically, just two inbound state visits are held each year, but the monarch continues to keep busy despite his ongoing cancer treatment.

The Royal Family welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron in June, and US President Donald Trump in September.

State visits are usually held in the summer and winter, but Trump's was squeezed in after he was invited to the UK by the UK Government.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender will arrive at Heathrow this morning, where they will be met by the Prince and Princess of Wales. They will then travel to Windsor to be officially welcomed by the King and Queen.

They will travel through the Berkshire town in a carriage procession, arriving at the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle for a showcase of pomp and pageantry.

After a private lunch inside the Castle, the German couple will be treated to a special exhibition of Royal Collection Trust exhibits.

The guests will then travel to London, with President Steinmeier heading to Downing Street to meet Sir Keir Starmer.

Separately, Ms Büdenbender will visit the Judith Kerr Primary School in southeast London to meet pupils and celebrate the school’s connection to its namesake, the famous German-born British writer and illustrator who authored The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

The day will conclude with a white-tie and tiara dinner in the festively decorated St George's Hall in Windsor.

Windsor is preparing to host the German President and First Lady, who will arrive at the Berkshire town this afternoon.

Members of the Royal Family will be out in force today, as they display the soft power the Firm is famous for.

Good morning, I'm in Windsor today covering the German state visit so I'll be keeping you up-to-date with all the action as it happens. Don't forget to get in touch on X at @emilyinpalace or by email: emily.ferguson@reachplc.com