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The Prince and Princess of Wales were at Heathrow to carry out their customary duty on behalf of King Charles
Dan HaygarthWednesday 03 December 2025 12:02 GMTComments
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Prince William and Kate Middleton have welcomed the German president and his wife to the UK for a state visit,
The Prince and Princess of Wales carried out their customary duty on behalf of King Charles at Heathrow Airport on Wednesday morning at the start of Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Elke Budenbender’s state visit.
It is the first state visit to the UK by a German president in 27 years, and the fifth since 1958. It comes after the King and Queen undertook a state visit to Germany in 2023.
A carpet lining party, formed of The King’s Colour Squadron, Royal Air Force, was in position on Wednesday for the arrival of the president’s Bundesrepublik Deutschland plane which featured a stripe made of the colours of the German flag.
Dressed in a suit, William greeted the King’s guests alongside Kate, who was wearing a Burberry dress with 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 royal couple shook hands with the president and his wife, with Ms Budenbender bringing her hand to her chest as she smiled and chatted with Kate.
Also waiting at the airport in west London was a welcome party which included Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Matt Jukes and the British ambassador to Germany Andrew Mitchell.
Mr Steinmeier and Ms Budenbender will then be accompanied to Windsor, where they will be formally welcomed by Charles and Camilla on an open-air royal dais in the centre of the Berkshire town, before enjoying a carriage ride through the streets, past the crowds, to the castle to kick off their three-day stay.
Mr Steinmeier will go on to receive a ceremonial welcome in the castle quadrangle, attended by the King, Camilla, William and Kate, and be feted with a grand state banquet in the historic royal residence’s St George’s Hall on Wednesday evening.
On Thursday morning, he will privately lay flowers at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II in the castle’s St George’s Chapel, before joining the King and Queen for a Big Help Out reception to showcase the impact volunteering can have on communities.
Before a formal farewell, they will be shown the State Sleigh, which was designed by Queen Victoria’s German-born husband, Prince Albert and recorded in Victoria’s diary in 1845.
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