King vows to strengthen ties between UK and Germany in banquet speech to mark first state visit

King Charles spoke in German as he praised the ‘very special’ nation

King Charles has pledged to “strengthen the connections” between the UK and Germany on the first state visit of his reign.

Charles stressed in a banquet speech on Wednesday evening that he was “utterly convinced” the bond between Britain and one of the EU’s leading nations “will grow ever stronger”.

He spoke in German to say he and Camilla were "deeply touched" by the warm welcome and he praised the "very special" nation.

He drew laughs from guests at the white-tie event when he referenced a British comedy sketch hugely popular in Germany called “dinner for one”, about an elderly aristocrat who dines alone while her waiter gets progressively more drunk as he consumes alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests.

The historic day saw the King and Queen Consort land at Berlin Brandenburg Airport earlier on Wednesday, when they were greeted with a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by two fighter jets as they emerged from the ministerial plane Voyager.

Charles and Camilla pictured with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s wife, Elke Buedenbender (Getty Images)

King Charles III gives a speech as he attends a state banquet at the Bellevue Palace (Getty Images)

The couple were welcomed at the bottom of Voyager’s steps by a line of dignitaries including the British Ambassador to Germany, Jill Gallard, and the State Secretary Dorte Dinger.

A guard of honour lined the red carpet walked by the couple who made their way to a waiting motorcade, which took them to the German capital, where they received a ceremonial welcome at the Brandenburg Gate.

In the shadow of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate – a national symbol of peace and unity – Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and wife Elke Budenbender formally welcomed the King and Queen Consort, heralding a deepening of the post-Brexit relationship between the two countries.

Charles sits next to former German chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured left) at the state banquet (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Britain's King Charles III (2-R), Camilla, The Queen Consort (2-L), German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) and his wife Elke Buedenbender (L) arrive for a white tie dinner at presidential palace Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, Germany (EPA)

They posed for the waiting photographers with the famous landmark in the background before the national anthems of Germany and the UK were played.

The King inspected a guard of honour, accompanied by the president, before he, Camilla, the German statesman and his wife went on a brief walkabout meeting people waiting behind nearby crash barriers.

One man took off a paper crown and offered it to the King with a smile and the words “This is for you, if you want it.”

The King and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier after planting a tree after attending a Green Energy reception at Bellevue Palace, Berlin, the official residence of the President of Germany (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Charles hands over a pen to Camilla to sign the guest book at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin (AFP via Getty Images)

Charles shook his head and said “I’m alright”, and also turned down another crown from a woman who said: “I have a present for you.”

Charles and Camilla later sat down to sign a book to commemorate the state visit at the Schloss Bellevue presidential palace.

At an event promoting UK and German climate and sustainability efforts, the German president praised the King’s green “convictions” and thanked him for making the “personal gesture” of choosing his country as the destination for the monarch’s inaugural state visit.

Charles III greets the crowd during the Ceremonial welcome at Brandenburg Gate (Getty Images)

Charles and Camilla arrive at the airport on Wednesday afternoon (EPA)

The visit comes after the postponement of the French leg of the European tour, which was shelved by president Emmanuel Macron last Friday after violent nationwide protests against the French leader’s retirement age reforms.

The decision was made amid reports the King may have been targeted during further demonstrations planned by protestors to coincide with the visit.

Charles and Camilla arrive at the airport and greet Royalists (AFP via Getty Images)

Charles and Camilla said in a joint statement, released on their official Twitter account, it was a “great joy” to be able to develop the “longstanding friendship between our two nations”.

“Ahead of our first state visit to Germany, we are very much looking forward to meeting all of those who make this country so special,” the King and his wife said in their earlier joint statement.

“It is a great joy to be able to continue the deepening of the longstanding friendship between our two nations.”

Charles will tomorrow give a speech to the German parliament and then on Friday will travel to the port city of Hamburg.