King Charles III State Visit: Steinmeier to London

The Federal President’s Office has officially confirmed Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s (69) upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom. As a press release shows, the Federal President and his wife Elke Büdenbender (63) will be there from December 3rd to 5th, 2025 at the invitation of King Charles III. (76) travel to Great Britain. The three-day stay marks a historic moment in German-British relations.

It is the first time in 27 years that a German Federal President will be received with the highest protocol honors in the United Kingdom. The last official state visit of this kind took place in December 1998, when Roman Herzog (1934-2017) traveled to London at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). The royal gesture comes at a time when both countries are looking to recalibrate and deepen their partnership following the 2020 Brexit. The state visit is likely to provide important impetus for bilateral relations.

The last personal meeting between Charles and Steinmeier was a while ago. At the end of March 2023, Charles and Queen Camilla (78) made their first state visit as a monarch couple to Germany – before the official coronation of the king in May of the same year. In Berlin, Federal President Steinmeier also received the royal couple with military honors.

The three-day visit to Germany was marked by symbolic moments: Charles was the first British monarch ever to speak in the Bundestag and impressed with passages in German. A ceremonial state banquet took place in Bellevue Palace, at which the close ties between the two countries were emphasized. In addition to political issues such as climate protection and aid to Ukraine, cultural aspects also became the focus of the program.

According to the Office of the Federal President, further details on the program of the upcoming state visit to London will be published at a later date.