By Isabel Pancake
Deutsche Bahn has probably never been as punctual as on Friday. No wonder: Finally, King Charles III. (74) personally in the ICE! BZ was on the train.
State of emergency at Berlin Central Station! Half of the station is cordoned off by police officers. The red carpet is laid out on platform eight. Because this is where Charles and his wife Camilla (75) are supposed to walk in the first-class car 14 of the ICE 804 in the direction of Kiel.
The royal couple travels to Hamburg quite normally – and in an environmentally friendly way. By train! They even paid for the tickets themselves.
BZ reporter Isabel Pfannkuche rode in the train of King Charles III. with Photo: Ufuk Ucta
But the train is something special: the XXL ICE “Federal Republic of Germany” (15,640 hp, 265 km/h, 918 seats)! Instead of the characteristic red stripe, a German flag adorns the window band of the ICE. “It was cleaned again beforehand,” says a railway employee.
Kerstin (64) and Klaus Feibig (64), pensioners from Halle an der Saale: “We knew that Charles was driving today, but not that he was sitting on the train with us! Then we noticed the high police traffic and thought something like that. It is an unusual journey and something special! It is rare that such personalities ride in such a means of transport. Like Charles, we get off in Hamburg and want to see the musical ‘Cirque du Soleil’ there. Tomorrow we go back – without the king” Photo: Ufuk Ucta
The train departs at 10:39 am. Police officers also secure the king in the ICE and stand at the sliding glass door to car number 14. Incidentally, there is no extra greeting from the train driver via announcement for the royal visit. Just a friendly: “Moin and welcome, dear passengers!”
Does this railway worker bring the royal tea in car 14? Photo: Ufuk Ucta
After only 15 minutes, Charles must have already said to his Camilla: “It’s teatime, darling!” An employee of the on-board restaurant rolls past with a cart. Then: Tea, of course. But also apple spritzer, water, coffee and milk. The king chooses an Earl Grey, his wife renounces. The menu on the train also includes beef with sour cream, chili con carne and chilli sin carne (vegan).
Charles drank an Earl Grey. The royal family later tweeted the photo Photo: Twitter
The king also likes it vegan – at least one day a week. But he skips lunch on the ICE!
But maybe there was a small snack: the railway employees handed out the classic “favorite guest” milk chocolate bars. BZ asks: Does Charles get one too? “I ask him. I hope he takes one,” says the railway worker.
The favorite guest on Friday was probably King Charles III.! He was also offered a small piece of milk chocolate Photo: Ufuk Ucta
Excitement also among the normal passengers: Some didn’t even know beforehand that they were sitting on the Königs-Express! “My car was cleared by the police in Erfurt. At first I thought they were looking for a criminal. Then the police told me that the king was boarding in Berlin,” said a passenger to BZ
The ICE makes an extra stop for Charles and Camilla! That even surprises the train driver, who says: “I see, because it is currently being displayed, that today also stops in Hamburg Dammtor!” Actually, the train was only supposed to stop at Hamburg Central Station and only then again in Altona…
Souvenir photo: Four federal police officers who accompanied Charles on the train have their picture taken in front of the XXL ICE “Federal Republic of Germany”. Photo: Ufuk Ucta
The reason for the stop: Charles meets Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher (57, SPD) in Dammtor – the king has arrived in the Hanseatic city.