Germany praises ‘winning performance’ of ‘Climate King’ Charles
Germany has praised King Charles’s “winning performance” as he celebrated the countries’ historic ties, bestowing him the moniker “The Climate King” for his environmental activism.
The King received a standing ovation in the German parliament following his speech that alternated between German and English and centred on his wish to “renew” the “special bond” with Germany.
The King nimbly avoided any mention of Brexit or the European Union.
“He came, he spoke, he inspired”, said Germany’s top-selling Bild newspaper, which splashed with a photo of the King on its cover.
The speech, the first by a sitting monarch to the Reichstag, was followed by a visit to a local market, further endearing him to the press and public, with the Berlin paper BZ surprised by how approachable he is and dubbing him “King Cool”.
Focus Magazine went a step further and asked if it was time Germany had a good-tempered King of their own following the disastrous reign of Kaiser Wilhelm, the country’s last King who was seen as indecisive and ineffective during the First World War.
Correspondent Ulrich Reitz asked, “after this humorous, warm-hearted and simply winning performance by Charles, many may be wondering whether such a king would not do us Germans good”.
The differences between Charles and Wilhelm were “not only in character”, he said.
“Charles is trying to bring about peace in his country. Wilhelm cultivated strife at home and elsewhere, and German megalomania, a legacy Germans still gnaw on.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of well-wishers braved the rain in the Hanseatic harbour city of Hamburg to cheer the King and Queen consort.
Many were impressed that he had come in a normal Intercity Express train and paid for his own ticket.
He also visited the Brodowin eco-village in Brandenburg, where he praised the local, organic Victoria sponge. The visit to the village, which is engaged in conservation projects to protect a variety of plant and animal species, burnished the King’s credentials as a champion of environmental causes, earning him the nickname the “Climate King”.
Renate Künast, a senior MP for the Green Party which is currently part of the German coalition government, said she once met Charles for tea and cucumber sandwiches at Highgrove when she was a minister and called him “a Green King”.
Some newspapers have asked whether King Charles would vote Green.
They declared “A king is supposed to be neutral. When it comes to environmental and climate protection, Charles is not. He can’t vote. But he would vote green if he could.”
They also said that the King, who has visited Germany over 40 times, “sees us Germans as natural allies in this ecological revolution.”
