Charles and Camilla's touching gesture as they brave the rain on state visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla braved the rain on the final day of their trip to Germany to pay a touching gesture.
The couple are coming to the end of their first state visit as King and Queen and have left Berlin to travel to Hamburg.
They made the journey via train and arrived at Hamburg Dammtor station to visit the Kindertransport Memorial.
Walking under umbrellas in the rain, Their Majesties visited a monument to the Kindertransporte scheme which saw thousands of children evacuated from Nazi Germany during WWII, including 10,000 to Britain.
The Queen Consort, wearing an Anna Valentine coat and dress with a brooch given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert on their wedding day, laid a white rose on the sculpture.
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Camilla lays the single rose at the memorial (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)This year marks the 85th anniversary of the first Kindertransport – a UK-led rescue mission which began in 1938.
The 2015 sculpture in bronze is entitled ‘The Final Parting’ and depicts two groups of children – those in the lighter brown representing the children who were evacuated to new lives abroad while those cast in the darker colour represent the thousands of children who were transported by train to concentration camps.
Created by Frank Meisler, it is one of five such installations across Europe, one of which is at Liverpool Street Station in London.
The King and Queen at the Kindertransport memorial (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Their Majesties met Nick Teller, the British honorary consul and chair of the Kindertransport Organisation, Lisa Bechner, who was awarded an honorary MBE in 2022 ‘for services to UK-Germany relations and the British commemoration of the Kindertransport rescue effort’.
Ms Bechner first met the King at a palace garden party before he ascended the throne and said: "Even as Prince of Wales the King was very supportive and people from the Kindertransport scheme memorial meet every five years at Buckingham Palace or St James’s Palace.
Now, with this Royal visit, it is the first time the German government are showing appreciation of the sculptures and that is why it is important."
After visiting the memorial, the King and Queen Consort walked towards the crowd .Lorenz Bille handed the King a gift – a ship in a glass bottle.
Charles during a wreath laying ceremony (WireImage)He said: "I told the King I have a present for you if you want it and he did."
Timo Makela, 64, said: "I waited here three hours to see the King and Queen. I explained to him that I had seen his son Prince William before and his father Prince Philip."
The Queen Consort shook hands with well wishers. A woman called Claudia said: ‘The Queen told me 'It's a bit wet'. I said 'I’m sorry about that!'".
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After the couple went to St Nikolai Memorial Church, which was destroyed when the Allies bombed the city during the Second World War.
The couple at the St Nikolai Memorial Church (Getty Images)This year marks the 80th anniversary of the British bombing of Hamburg – Operation Gomorrah. During the Allied bombing raids on Hamburg in July 1943, the church tower was used as a landmark by bomber pilots.
At the memorial, the King, German President and Mayor of Hamburg lay wreaths during a short, solemn ceremony of remembrance. Camilla also lay a single white rose at the memorial church.
After they went to Hamburg City Hall, where they were given a rapturous reception as they stepped onto the balcony of the building to wave to a crowd of thousands.
The couple were greeted by huge cheers as they emerged from the building to acknowledge the impressive crowd who had been waiting for hours in the rain.
Charles and Camilla wave to the crowds from the balcony of Hamburg City Hall (Daniel Reinhardt/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The crowd gathered outside the City Hall to see the King and Queen (PA)On departure, the King briefly returned to the crowd to shake hands.
There they had a moment of déjà vu when they encountered a devoted German fan of the royal family they had seen the previous day in Berlin.
Lawyer Bjoern von der Ohe, 60, said he told the King: "It's a great honour to meet you", only for Charles to reply "Again!"
He had previously seen them twice in Berlin - both of them at the market, and the Queen by herself at the refugee centre.
After giving her three cheers at the refugee centre she came up to him and said: "Thank you, it was so kind."
Wellwishers were eager to give the King gifts (Getty Images)Others among the several-thousand strong crowd outside the City Hall were Nine Towe, 51, and her friend Christina Wagner, 31, who had taken a huge effort with their dress and looked like Mary Poppins.
Both ladies are from Hamburg and said they were "huge fans" of the Royal Family.
"I love everything to do with the British Royal Family," said Nina. "I feel so happy that the King has come to Hamburg.
"It is a real sign of Anglo German friendship. It is a sign of the particular friendship we have as countries and is really appreciated. I thought his German on this visit has been excellent, he has a very charming accent and he spoke very well indeed."
The huge crowd waiting for the royal couple (PA)Christina added: "I, too, have always loved the Royal Family. I had a crush on Prince William in my teenage years. It is wonderful that they have come to Germany on their first State Visit."
Both ladies got to meet the King afterwards and were delighted to have had the chance to give him their flowers.
"I got to shake hands and welcomed him to Hamburg," said Christina.
After visiting the Town Hall, the couple went their separate ways with Camilla visiting a primary school and wowing with her drawing of the Gruffalo and Charles heading to Hamburg's Port, where he admitted he has become a "frustrated old man" when it comes to the climate crisis.
Camilla proudly holds up her drawing of the Gruffalo (WireImage)
Charles on a tour of the Port of Hamburg (Getty Images)The day ended during a finale reception at the Schuppen 52 centre, where the couple watched a Beatles tribute band play I Saw Here Standing There and met Germany’s Eurovision band Lord of the Lost.
At the end of the event UK ambassador Jill Gallard thanked the royals for making Germany their first state visit, adding: “For one last time on this tour, I would like to ask you to please join me in thanking His Majesty for Germany being the first State Visit of your reign.”
It comes after Charles and Camilla had a busy day in Berlin yesterday, where the King became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag.
He received a two-minute standing ovation after making the historic speech where he spoke movingly about his late mother the Queen - and even teased an old footballing rivalry.
The couple left Berlin and travelled to Hamburg via train (Markus Schreiber/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The wide-ranging 15-minute speech included references to the Beatles, Berlin's vibrant nightlife and a shared love of comedy - prompting much laughter.
It came after the first state banquet speech of his reign the night before at Schloss Bellevue, where Charles stressed that he was "utterly convinced" the bond between Britain and one of the EU’s leading nations "will grow ever stronger".
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