Britain’s Charles III was to travel to Germany on Wednesday for his first state visit as king, with the trip billed as “an important European gesture” to maintain strong ties after Brexit. The British Union Jack was flapping alongside the German and European Union flags along Berlin’s central Unter den Linden avenue, which leads to the Brandenburg Gate, where Charles will receive a formal welcome. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German first lady Elke Buedenbender will greet Charles and Queen Consort Camilla with military honours at the landmark, the first time it has provided a backdrop for receiving a state guest. Dozens of police were milling around the gate in the morning, ahead of the king’s arrival. During his three-day visit, Charles will become the first monarch to address the German parliament, with a speech on Thursday, before travelling to the port city of Hamburg on Friday. The decision to call on close neighbours first is widely seen as an attempt to build post-Brexit bridges, with Steinmeier calling it “an important European gesture”. The choice of Berlin for Charles’s first visit, after a planned trip to Paris was postponed, showed Germany was a “key partner” for Britain as it sought to reset relations with the EU, daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote. Well-wishers arrived at the Brandenburg Gate hours before the royal couple touched down in hope of getting a glimpse of the royals. Anja Wieting 50, who works at a clothing store, took days off to drive five hours to Berlin with her daughter Lili, 18, for the spectacle. “It’s the visit of the king in Germany. We want to celebrate it, regardless of how long the queue is,” she told AFP, adding that she finds “big ceremonies and state visits by royals great”.