The royal welcome was unambiguous. President Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, were received by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle. A 41-gun salute echoed across the Berkshire skies, and a carriage procession through Windsor’s streets, cheered by onlookers, marked the start of the three-day state visit reveals the Guardian.

The last such formal visit was in 1998, when the then German President was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, ties between the two countries suffered strains, notably during the years following the UK’s exit from the EU, a period characterized by diplomatic frictions, trade uncertainties and diverging policies.

The 2025 visit seeks to reset the tone. In July, the two nations signed the Kensington Treaty, a landmark agreement envisaging deeper cooperation on defence, trade, migration, and education. During talks at 10 Downing Street, Steinmeier lauded the improved state of Anglo-German relations after “difficult” post-Brexit years; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment, pledging joint action on Ukraine, migration and economic stability.

The itinerary also carries symbolic weight: the German delegation will visit the bombed ruins of Coventry Cathedral, a sombre nod to wartime destruction and a gesture of reconciliation.

More than pageantry, the state visit aims to announce a new dawn for UK–Germany, one where shared challenges and shared futures override past divisions. Through diplomacy, remembrance and renewed collaboration, both nations appear ready to chart a more united European path.