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Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has likened the relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom after Brexit to the recent reconciliation of the Oasis band members. Speaking in the UK Parliament during his state visit, Steinmeier acknowledged the initial disappointment and uncertainty following the UK’s departure from the EU but emphasized that both countries chose not to remain trapped in those feelings. Quoting Oasis’s famous track, he urged, “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” highlighting a shared desire to move forward constructively.
This visit marked the first time in 27 years that a German head of state had come to the UK. Steinmeier’s itinerary began with a formal reception hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, followed by a grand banquet at Windsor Castle. Throughout his time in the UK, the president stressed the ongoing improvement in diplomatic relations since Brexit in 2020. In the House of Parliament’s Royal Gallery, Steinmeier remarked on the British spirit of resilience: “I think that is typically British, keep calm and carry on – look ahead pragmatically, move on.” He returned to the Oasis reference, noting the band’s sold-out reunion after years of personal conflict, as a metaphor for renewed cooperation between the two nations: “Cool Britannia is alive! Our relations may have changed, but, my dear Britons, our love remains.”
During the visit, Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender were accompanied by UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s East Storehouse. There, they viewed an archive exhibition featuring memorabilia, including some of David Bowie’s costumes and instruments, acknowledging Bowie’s significant connection to Berlin in the 1970s. Later that evening, they attended a banquet at the Guildhall with the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, and the Princess Royal present. Earlier in the day, their schedule included visits to Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, honoring those who died in World War One and remained unidentified.
Looking ahead, the final day of Steinmeier’s visit included plans for a visit to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in World War Two by German bombing—an important symbolic act of reconciliation. This follows the spirit of mutual remembrance and respect demonstrated during the UK’s state visit to Germany when King Charles laid a wreath in Hamburg to commemorate the civilian casualties of Allied bombings. Additionally, Steinmeier was set to receive an honorary degree from Oxford University and learn about ongoing medical research, underscoring the forward-looking tone of this historic trip
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