Overview
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier began a three-day visit with a Windsor welcome of military honors, a carriage procession and a state banquet, marking the first German head-of-state visit in 27 years.
- After the ceremony, he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a private discussion, with both highlighting closer cooperation on migration, trade, security and support for Ukraine.
- Steinmeier is due to address Parliament on Thursday, a rare honor for a foreign guest, before a reconciliation-focused trip to Coventry on Friday.
- Prince William and Princess Kate greeted the German president at Heathrow, and official gifts were exchanged, including a Meissen-themed Christmas hamper from Berlin and a handcrafted walking stick from King Charles.
- Officials frame the visit as consolidating recent progress, noting practical steps such as newly simplified rules that allow more U.K. school trips for students without German passports.