Commemoration of the Nazi transport of Jewish children to Great Britain at the Dammtor train station, a wreath-laying ceremony at St. Nikolai Church, which was destroyed by British bombers, a visit to the town hall with an entry in the city’s Golden Book and the inevitable harbor tour: King Charles III. and his wife Camilla end their trip to Germany on Friday in Hamburg.
The royal flying visit brings back memories for many older residents: 58 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip visited the Hanseatic city on their first of five state visits to Germany – and caused enthusiasm among the population. The then 39-year-old monarch and her 43-year-old husband paid a visit to around two dozen cities of the economic miracle republic in eleven days. In 1965, Hamburg – part of the British occupation zone after 1945 – was the last stop on the journey.
Queen Elizabeth on a state visit to Hamburg in 1965
“Hamburg cheers Queen Elizabeth II.” headlines the “Hamburger Abendblatt” on May 28th and notes: “The royal special train rolled into the Dammtor station at 9.59 a.m. The royal couple was given a big reception. Tens of thousands of people had been lining the thoroughfares for hours. Hundreds of thousands on their feet, everywhere the tension of anticipation.” All this in the “bright sun”. The front page promises a “large color report” inside the newspaper.
The program at that time included a boat trip on the Alster, a visit to a regatta and a school, as well as an entry in the Golden Book in the town hall. At the end of the visit, the Hanseatic city prepared the Queen and the Prince an “unforgettable farewell” in the port, as the newspaper writes. On the “Britannia”, the royal yacht, the royal couple sails across the Elbe towards the North Sea and home, accompanied by hundreds of larger and smaller ships. “The Queen and her husband experienced an incomparable spectacle, a picture of majestic beauty, which also captivated countless spectators on the banks of the Elbe.”
“Boats of the port fire brigade shoot high fountains of water into the sky. Greetings and escort for the queen, who celebrated her visit as if it were her own,” reports the Norddeutscher Rundfunk. “A spectacle that Hamburg has never experienced in its 1,000-year history,” says the “Abendblatt” happily.
In contrast to Charles’ and Camilla’s journey 58 years later, the television stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines hardly knew any other topic during the days of the Queen’s visit. Also the star heaves the royal trip to Germany onto his cover several times. The state visit is one of the highlights in the history of the then still young Federal Republic and the last day in Hamburg is the crowning glory. During her decade-long reign, Elizabeth has made four more state visits to Germany, as well as informal visits. The Queen dies in 2022 at the age of 96, Philip a year earlier.
In the photo gallery above, see historical pictures from the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on May 28, 1965 in Hamburg.
Sources: , star-Archive, news agency DPA
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
