Queen Elizabeth II begins state visit to Germany

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is welcomed by German officials as the
royal couple kicks off their state visit in Germany. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have arrived in Berlin to kick off a four-day state visit to Germany.

The Queen’s aircraft was shadowed by three Eurofighters, a welcoming respect accorded to visiting dignitaries the moment they enter the German airspace.

The official website of the British Monarchy provides the details of the Queen’s state visit:

Wednesday 24th June

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be ceremonially welcomed with military honours at Bellevue Palace, the official residence of President Gauck. They will then travel by boat along the River Spree, to the Chancellery where The Queen will meet Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Queen will then lay a wreath at Germany’s Central Memorial for the victims of war and dictatorship. In the afternoon, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s Lecture at Berlin's University of Technology, to be delivered by Neil MacGregor. That evening The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will return to Bellevue Palace for a State Banquet hosted by President Gauck.

Thursday 25th June

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel with President Gauck and Ms Schadt to Frankfurt. There they will visit St Paul’s Church, where they will meet representatives of the local community and hear about the significance of the building as the birthplace of parliamentary democracy in Germany. The Minister-President of Hesse will then host a lunch in honour of The Queen at the Römer, which has been Frankfurt’s City Hall for more than six centuries. After leaving the Römer, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will greet members of the public in the central square. On returning to Berlin that evening, they will attend a Garden Party hosted by the British Ambassador.

Friday 26th June

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will greet members of the public in Pariser Platz and view the Brandenburg Gate with the Mayor of Berlin. They will then fly from Berlin to Celle Military Airport in Lower Saxony, and will visit the Bergen-Belsen memorial site. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will lay a wreath at the inscription wall. They will then return to Celle Military Airport for a farewell with the local community, before departing for the UK.