Prince Charles in Berlin: declaration of love to Germany – Royals

Before Prince Charles (72) goes to the lectern of the Bundestag, he plays the most famous English anthem. One that can make you cry: “Amazing Grace”.

When soprano Kathleen Ziegner sang the last verse (“The earth / soon / will dissolve like snow / the sun / will stop shining; / but God / who called me here / will be mine forever”) and Charles, with a small selection of his military medals on his chest, he picked up his voice manuscript, you could tell he was moved.

Speaking in the German Bundestag on Memorial Day is also a historic moment for him. It was the first time a British royal had taken part in our Memorial Day.

The day we remember the victims of all our wars, not just soldiers, but civilians as well. It is the day we apologize for the injustice that the Germans have committed against the Germans and members of other nations.

Charles’s everyday trip to Berlin is a great gesture of friendship between a former enemy.

Before giving his speech in the Reichstag building, he and Duchess Camilla (73) visited the federal president at Bellevue Palace and placed a wreath at the Neue Wache (Unter den Linden), Germany’s central memorial. On the tape the words: “In the eternal memory of all the victims of conflict and tyranny” (“In the infinite memory of all the victims of war and tyranny”).

Then the great appearance at the commemoration hour in the Bundestag – hosted and organized by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (whose idea, among other things, was to invite the prince to Berlin for the occasion). First surprise: Charles gave part of his speech in German.

The night before – on his 72nd birthday – he had come with Camilla and stayed at the Hotel Adlon. There was a “Happy Birthday” serenade on the Royal Air Force plane (and cake!), And in the evening Carlo and Camilla were in their suite overlooking the Brandenburg Gate.

There wasn’t much partying. The prince studied the German passages of his speech to the Bundestag. He had insisted on speaking German, although the pronunciation of some words bothers him.

“I have been coming to Germany again and again since I was only 13 and first visited Berlin nearly fifty years ago,” said the heir to the British throne, whose veins have more German than English blood – a fact that he always does in his speech, although when he mentioned his ancestor, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert Sachsen-Coburg (1819-1861), he found it difficult to pronounce the term “great, great, great-grandfather.”

The message arrived anyway. It said: Today we remember the young people who fell on both sides in the war against each other, but our common history consists of more than the first and second world wars!

He literally said: “The links between the British and German populations go back at least to the Roman Empire. (…) Throughout the nineteenth century, British life in science and art was shaped by German thought, in part thanks to the leading role of my great, great, great-grandfather, the prince consort, Prince Albert. German was an extremely important foreign language for British academics (…) It was not as unusual as it might seem today that four members of the British cabinet had studied in German universities when World War I broke out. “

At the end of his speech – the second surprise – he surprised his audience with some reflections on Brexit. Federal President Frank Steinmeier and Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble in the front row of the plenary knew that these words were explosive and listened to very carefully.

That was a real premiere too. Never before has a member of this deeply European-minded British royal family gone out in public on this sensitive issue.

Charles’ concluding remarks: “The UK has chosen a future outside the European Union and the relationship between our countries is changing again. The formation of this relationship is the subject of negotiation between our governments and its nature is determined by the permanent links between our peoples. Therefore, I firmly believe that the central bonds between us will remain strong: we will always be friends, partners and allies. “

And again: “Let us try to cement these bonds at the beginning of this new chapter of our long history for the years to come. We look back at everything we’ve done together and everything we’ve learned. We remember all the victims of war, tyranny and persecution; those who gave their lives for the freedoms we love today and those who fight for those freedoms to this day. They inspire us to fight for a better future: we make this our common concern “.

It was worth listening more closely. Charles writes his speeches himself, but this passage probably suggests 10 Downing Street. The time will come on 31 December when Britain will no longer be part of the EU. In the last few meters there are still key details which, if not clarified (border with Ireland, customs duties, fishing rights), could lead to serious economic upheavals on both sides.

The London government is in dire straits. With a president Joe Biden (77) we cannot hope for a particularly friendly British-American special trade deal. Biden has Irish roots – and therefore a natural aversion to anything British (and the former colonial rulers of Ireland).

The London government now hopes, in the last few meters of the negotiations, that the EU will resist the temptation, from a position of strength, to force London to make painful concessions. At this critical stage, you have to rely on the goodwill of the EU and Merkel.

A real visit like this can lead to insights and perhaps even a small miracle.

The Order of Prince Charles

Prince Charles wore numerous medals during his visit. BILD explains the most important:

1. “Queen’s Order of Service” – for service to the kingdom.

2. “Queen’s Coronation Medal” – remembrance of the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

3. “Silver Jubilee Medal” – for the 25 year reign of the Queen.

4. “Queen’s jubilee gold medal” – for the 50th anniversary of the queen’s throne.

5. The “diamond jubilee medal” – for the 60th anniversary of the throne.

6. “Canadian Forces Decoration” – he is entitled as Commander in Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

7. The “New Zealand Commemorative Medal” commemorates the signing of the New Zealand Constitution in 1840.

8. New Zealand Armed Forces Award – New Zealand Armed Forces Medal of Honor.