King Charles III addresses German parliament, meets Scholz

Charles, 74, is on his inaugural foreign trip since becoming UK king

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS : King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers.

Charles, 74, is on his inaugural foreign trip since becoming U.K. king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday.

Crowds of well-wishers and Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capital's iconic Brandenburg Gate.

They later attended a banquet in their honour at the presidential palace.

Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose.

The U.K. government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful Brexit process.

The fallout has been considerable: Britain's departure from the European Union's common market has resulted in trade barriers and labour shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programmes.

By devoting special attention to the EU's two biggest powers  France and Germany  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalise relations with the 27-nation bloc.

Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip.

That put the focus on Germany, where the U.K. royal family and particularly the late Queen Elizabeth II have long enjoyed curiosity and admiration.