King Charles has finally kicked off the first state visit of his reign after a trip to France had to be shelved at the last minute.
He and Queen Camilla arrived in the German capital Berlin for a three-day trip this afternoon and were given a huge ceremonial welcome with military honours at the city's iconic Brandenburg Gate - the first time the landmark has been used to welcome any visiting head of state.
In the shadow of the monument– a national symbol of peace and unity – Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and wife Elke Budenbender formally welcomed the King and Queen Consort.
The foursome posed for the waiting photographers with the famous landmark in the background before the national anthems of Germany and the UK were played.
The King inspected a guard of honour, accompanied by the president, before Charles, Camilla, the German statesman and his wife went on a brief walkabout meeting people waiting behind nearby crash barriers.
During the walkabout, Charles was affectionately offered a crown - a paper one - made by fast-food chain Burger King.
One man took his off and tried to press it into the king’s hands, saying politely:" This is for you, if you want it".
Charles smiled broadly and said: "I’m alright!" He, of course, has a number of real ones at home.
He also grinned and declined another crown from a woman who said: "I have a present for you".
Elsewhere, Hadley Drake, eight, got away with telling the king firmly to "wait" while she took a picture of him on her brightly-coloured toy camera.
The British youngster, who was being carried by her father at the front of the crowd, told the monarch that she wanted to get a better shot of him - and scooped the waiting press photographers by being rewarded with her own brief personal photocall.
"Wait!" she declared. "Hey you look..." but the King never got to hear how her picture had come out.
Earlier as the King and Queen descended on Germany, the RAF Voyager plane they were travelling in was escorted by German Eurofighter jets as a mark of respect.
The royal couple also released a personal message on social media that read: "Ahead of our first State Visit to Germany, we are very much looking forward to meeting all of those who make this country so special.
"It is a great joy to be able to continue the deepening of the longstanding friendship between our two nations." It was signed Charles R and Camilla R.
As they emerged from their plane, Camilla looked striking in a turquoise Bruce Oldfield dress and coat, which she teamed with a Philip Treacy hat. She also wore a brooch that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth that was given to her on her confirmation in 1942 by Queen Mary.
She and Charles paused at the top of the steps to the aircraft as they were greeted with a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by military jets.
They later walked a red carpet where they shook hands with officials before getting in their car to head to the Brandenburg Gate.
On the agenda later today is a glitzy state banquet at Schloss Bellevue, the German president's palace where they will be hosted by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
On the menu tonight will be marinated carp, a broth made from Heck cattle as well as free-range chicken with mushrooms and spinach tart. There will also be wines from Germany as well as baked plum in black tea along with German biscuit Sandgebäck.
Among the guests will be Anglo-German celebrities including Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the pen Charles used to sign a guest book at the presidential palace had been "repeatedly checked" after a series of pen blunders after he was proclaimed monarch last year.
Kai Baldow, head of protocol in the president’s office, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper: "Our pen has never failed."
Tomorrow, the King will become the first British monarch to address the Bundestag and he will also meet Ukrainian refugees while Camilla visits a Berlin-based opera.
They couple will also visit Hamburg, where they will attend a reception with members of the British community as well as lay wreaths during a short ceremony of Remembrance at the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church which was destroyed when the Allies bombed the city during the Second World War.
The visit comes just weeks ahead of the Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6 and amid a return trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who has been attending a hearing at the High Court in London.
The trip to Germany has unexpectedly become Charles' first state visit as King after his and Camilla's visit to France was postponed due to civil unrest in the country.
They were due to begin the first state visit of the King's reign on Sunday but the trip was shelved after a night of violent demonstrations across France that led to hundreds of arrests and police being injured.
President Emmanuel Macron said the four-day state visit was likely to be rescheduled for the beginning of summer, after Downing Street confirmed the French leader had asked the British Government to postpone the trip.
France has faced an eruption of violent demonstrations over forced-through pension reforms.
Sylvie Bermann, who served as Paris’s ambassador to Britain between 2014 and 2017, said Mr Macron wanted the visit to go ahead "until the last minute" before realising the situation was untenable.
She said a planned state banquet at the Palace of Versailles for Charles and Camilla would "not have given a good image".
Lord Ricketts, a former national security adviser, said the lavish Versailles dinner would have had "echoes" of the French revolution if it had gone ahead during a public outcry at Mr Macron’s decision to push back the national retirement age.
