Is King Charles already being ‘too political’ during his German state visit?

Here are some photos of King Charles and Queen Camilla today in Germany, their first state visit as monarchs. Last night was the big, glitzy state dinner, and I only just saw the menu for the dinner so I need to share it: their German hosts served a first course of marinated carp with spring cress and “a broth made from Heck cattle, a distinctively German breed developed in the 1920s as an effort to bring back the extinct aurochs.” The main course was “free-range chicken with mushrooms and spinach tart, accompanied by German wines.” Dessert was a baked plum pudding “served in black tea from East Frisia and garnished with Sandgebäck, a crumbly German biscuit variety half-covered with chocolate. It will be washed down with dessert wine from the Ahr valley in southwest Germany.” I’m a little bit obsessed with this menu? Like, German food actually sounds really good?

Meanwhile, Charles is being criticized for flirting with “politics.” While I find much of Charles’s behavior despicable, I kind of feel like people scream “that’s too political” at him over stuff which is not all that scandalous or notable. Like, his environmentalism is barely political. He’s actually there explicitly to improve Britain’s relations with Europe post-Brexit. As in, that’s what the Sunak government wants from the king, and that’s what the EU wants too. Politico even noted that Charles praised Germany for hosting Ukrainian refugees, like that too is a massively political act? I swear it’s not. Charles is addressing the German parliament today (the Bundestag) and we’ll cover it if he suddenly calls Vladimir Putin a short, ugly murderer or something.

Camilla really isn’t bringing us any exciting style. I wasn’t expecting her to, but her Oldfield gown last night was pretty dowdy and so is this coat. Also: one of my favorite genre of “Charles photos” is where he’s examining food. That man loves to look at fruits and vegetables.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.