The King and Queen will host the President of Germany for a state visit at Windsor Castle in December, Buckingham Palace has announced. They said in a statement: “The President of Germany, accompanied by Frau Büdenbender, will pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom, hosted by His Majesty The King, from Wednesday 3rd December to Friday 5th December.”

It’s the first inward state visit from Germany in 27 years. It comes after I revealed in my column, Emily in Palace, that Windsor Castle staffers had already started preparations to host another state visit in early December.

The German state visit marks the third inward state visit hosted by the King and Queen this year, following the successful visits of Macron and Trump in July and September.

The King and Queen’s first state visit of their reign was to Germany in March 2023. As Prince of Wales, Charles visited the country more than 40 times, including three official visits with The Queen, as well as three official visits with The Duchess of Cornwall.

As Federal President and Minister for Foreign Affairs, President Steinmeier has visited the UK on numerous occasions, most recently to attend the Coronation of Their Majesties in May 2023.

The itinerary of the three-day state visit has not been released, but it’s likely to include a full ceremonial welcome with a carriage procession through Windsor town and a glittering state banquet held in St George’s Hall.

Senior royals are expected to be out in full force to support the King and Queen.