King Charles III has faced criticism from some opposition parties in Germany for his speech at the Bundestag, the German parliament, on Thursday. The King became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag while it was in session, as part of his inaugural state visit to Germany with Queen Consort Camilla.
However, some opposition politicians said it was not appropriate for a monarch to speak before a democratic parliament. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it was not in keeping with Germany’s democratic tradition to have Charles address the country’s highest political body.
Ates Gürpinar, the vice-president of the Left party, also criticized the invitation to the King. “I find it absurd to let a king speak in the Bundestag,” he said “Welcoming a monarch with all the honors in the heart of democracy is to show contempt for history,”.
The royal couple will conclude their visit on Friday in Hamburg, where they will tour a port and a museum.
