British State Visit to Germany, Day Two

The second day of their state visit to Germany saw Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh head to Frankfurt for the majority of the day.

Their first stop was at St Paul’s Church, dubbed the birthplace of German parliamentary democracy, where they met with locals and were welcomed by the local children’s choir. The couple were shown around the church, in particular viewing the 1356 document which created the system for electing the Holy Roman Emperor, the Golden Bull. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were joined by German President Joachim Gauck and his partner Daniela Schadt before a walk over to the Römer, the Town Hall in Frankfurt for lunch.

Volker Bouffier, the Minister-President of Hesse, hosted the luncheon which saw the guests feast on Hessian delicacies and taste wine developed in the region. During the lunch, Mr Bouffier delivered a speech that highlighted the close ties between the British Royal Family and the state of Hesse: “Both Your Majesty and your Prince Consort have a special bond with our State due to the House of Hesse and Battenberg.”

The Queen and the Duke appeared briefly on the Römer’s balcony after the lunch to wave to the large crowd that had gathered in the square below.

After returning to Berlin, the Queen and the Duke were guests of honour at a garden party for 650 hosted by the British Ambassador to Germany, Sir Simon McDonald, at his residence. Among the attendees were Prince Philip’s nephew, Margrave Maximilian of Baden, Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia, and Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse.

Queen Elizabeth and President Gauck at a Garden Party at the British Ambassador’s residence, June 25

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Tagged Ambassador, Baden, Donatus Landgrave of Hesse, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Garden Party, Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia, Germany, House of Hesse, Maximilian Margrave of Baden, President Gauck of Germany, Princess Sophie of Prussia, Prussia, State Visit, The Duke of Edinburgh.