The history of the British royal family has a close relationship with Germany, a country that King Charles III will visit for the first time on a state visit starting Wednesday.
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha originated from the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert in 1840, whose grandson George V changed the family name during World War I due to public hostility toward Germany. George I was the first German king to be crowned king of Great Britain in 1714.
Victoria and Albert popularized the Christmas tree tradition in Britain and forged family ties throughout Europe through their children. Most European royal dynasties have ties to Germany because of the practice of intermarriage among German nobles due to the large number of regional rulers in Germany.
In 1933 or 1934, a never-before-released amateur film showed the young Elizabeth II giving the Nazi salute with her mother and sister at Balmoral Castle, allegedly encouraged by her uncle Edward VIII. Edward met Adolf Hitler in Germany in 1937.
Elizabeth II was appreciated in Germany for her commitment to German-British reconciliation after World War II and first visited Berlin in 1965. Charles III also has links with Germany and has visited the country frequently, both officially and on private stays; although he is not popular with many English people, he has never denied his German ancestry.