King Charles politely refused the offer of a surprise coronation when a fan tried to give him a paper Burger King crown on his state visit to Germany.
The 74-year-old monarch, who is not due to be crowned in the UK until May 6, was with his wife Queen Consort Camilla, 75, on Wednesday (March 29) when a man tried to give him the novelty gift.
He was strolling by the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin when he came across a group of well-wishers wearing Burger King crowns that had been given away by the fast food giant – and when one man took his off and tried to push it into the royal’s hands, Charles politely said while grinning: “I’m alright!”
The royal fan had told him: “This is for you, if you want it.”
Charles kept smiling when another woman tried to give him her paper crown while telling the royal: “I have a present for you.”
The king was also seen bending down to pick up a man’s cap before returning it back to him, with the well-wisher thanking him and bowing.
Charles and Camilla were seen posing for selfies before they were formally greeted at the Brandenburg Gate by Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and wife Elke Budenbender.
The couple were given the first full ceremonial and military welcome at the landmark since World War Two – an honour not even given to Queen Elizabeth, who visited Berlin for her last ever State Visit abroad in 2015, before her death last year aged 96.
Charles also spoke on the visit about being forced to cancel the first part of his and Camilla’s visit to France amid riots over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms – calling the axing of the trip “very sad”.
President Steinmeier said about Charles’ passion for the planet: “I am grateful that King Charles III began to champion healthy nutrition, sustainability and climate action very early on. We are all benefiting today from Your Majesty’s convictions…”
“This visit, Your Majesty’s very first trip abroad as the new King, is a tremendous personal gesture – and for that I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.
“I am looking forward to the coming days and to the many opportunities we will have to exchange views.”
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
