William and Kate to visit Germany in July
March 3, 2017
This will be Kate's - the Duchess of Cambridge - first official trip to Germany and the Cambridges have not toured Poland before on behalf of the government. No details were immediately provided as to when the couple would be in the countries and whom they would meet with, with Kensington Palace saying full details would be released at a later date.
William - second in line to the British throne after his father, Prince Charles - traveled to Germany last summer, visiting Dusseldorf for a series of events honoring the role of British armed forces based in the country. William said then that the "depth" of Britain's friendship with Germany would not change after the UK leaves the EU.
The British monarchy has close ties with Germany. Sovereigns from George I, born in what is now modern Germany and who acceded to the throne in 1714, to William IV, who died in 1830, were also rulers of Hanover in Germany, while Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha hailed from what's now known as Bavaria.
The 300th anniversary of one of the world's most famous examples of a "personal union" - when two separate states share a single monarch - was celebrated in 2014.
During a state visit to Germany in 2015, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation by British forces.
Warsaw also beckons
"The [Polish] presidential couple welcomed the news of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's desire to pay a visit to Poland,” Krzysztof Szczerski, a senior adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, said on Friday. "The Polish presidential couple will be happy to welcome them in our country in July this year."
Szczerski added: "We see this visit as a confirmation of cordial ties between our countries and peoples. It is our intention that the [royal] couple's visit combines elements of an official visit and private time for both couples."
The royal couple are planning to visit the continent with a two-day trip to Paris scheduled for later this month.
jbh/msh (dpa)