Banquet, Bowie and football in upcoming German state visit

King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the first German state visit to the UK in 27 years - with a state banquet and ceremonial events in Windsor on Wednesday.

Such state visits are about projecting soft power and building relationships, and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier's three-day visit will see a mix of pageantry, politics and culture.

Events for the president will range from speaking in Parliament to meeting German Premier League footballers to visiting the David Bowie Centre in the Victoria and Albert Museum's new wing in east London.

In a message of reconciliation, there will be a visit to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, bombed during the Second World War.

This mirrors a visit to Hamburg during the UK state visit to Germany in 2023, when King Charles laid a wreath remembering the civilian casualties of wartime Allied bombing raids.

The state visit by President Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender, will begin on Wednesday with the traditional formal welcomes and military parades.

There will be a carriage ride on the way to Windsor Castle - which didn't take place during the recent US state visit by President Trump, who moved in and out by helicopter, reducing security risks but also any opportunity for protests.

A highlight of such visits is the spectacular state banquet in St George's Hall, where the King and president will make speeches, with celebrity guests enjoying a showcase dinner.

When in Germany, the King had spoken about the importance of supporting Ukraine, so there will be interest in whether he might raise the subject again, against a background of talks about ending the war.

Also in Windsor, President Steinmeier will lay flowers at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II in St George's Chapel.

Sir Keir Starmer will host a meeting with President Steinmeier at Downing Street, along with UK and German business leaders, emphasising the importance of economic ties.

It follows the "Kensington Treaty" signed this summer between the UK and Germany, which included closer co-operation on defence and plans for easier travel between the two countries, including a direct rail link.

Events will show the cultural links between the countries, including a sleigh designed in 1845 by the German-born Prince Albert, who was married to Queen Victoria.

Ms Budenbender will visit the Judith Kerr Primary School, in south-east London, to mark the connection to its namesake, Judith Kerr, the German-born author of the children's book The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Oxford University will award an honorary degree to President Steinmeier, on a trip where he will learn about medical research at the university.

A visit by President Steinmeier to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will include meeting German footballers in the Premier League.

And at the V&A East Storehouse, which has put the museum's archive on show, the visitors will see the David Bowie Centre, which contains items related to the pop star, such as stage outfits and musical instruments.

Bowie had strong associations with Berlin, having lived and worked in the city in the 1970s.