King Charles III has praised Germany for showing “extraordinary hospitality” in hosting more than one million refugees from Ukraine since the outbreak of war.

In the first state banquet speech of his reign on Wednesday evening (29 March), Charles also pledged to “strengthen the connections” between the UK and Germany after arriving in Berlin.

“I did want to pay a particular tribute to Germany’s extraordinary hospitality in hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees,” the King said.

“This, it seems to me, so powerfully demonstrates the generosity and spirit of the German people.”