William and Kate's first state visit to Germany as a family
July 17, 2017
Queen Elizabeth's last visit to Germany was during the summer of 2015. It was her fifth visit to the Federal Republic, which saw her handle a packed schedule, including a meeting with then-German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The ties between Germany and the UK have been continuously improving over the last few years, and both countries have expressed interest in maintaining these good relations even as the United Kingdom prepares its withdrawal from the European Union.
As popular figures from the royal family, William and Kate have taken on the role of "Brexit ambassadors." They were both in France last March. Their new European tour starts in Poland on July 17 and 18. They will be in Berlin on July 19, in Heidelberg the following day and finally in Hamburg on July 21.
Read more: The House of Windsor turns 100
The Windsors are also celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2017. Even though the British Royal House had already long been in existence, the royal family changed their name to Windsor on July 17, 2017.
They had previously used a German name: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Their new name allowed the crown to survive during the First World War.