The state visit of the British King Charles III. At the end of March, according to a report, the German taxpayer cost around 440,000 euros. The costs of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution are not included, reported the "Spiegel" on Friday from the response of the Federal Ministry of Finance to a request from the Left Party. According to the report, the most expensive was the deployment of the guard battalion at just under 126,000 euros, while the state banquet cost 43,000 euros.
According to the report, around 31,000 euros were spent on the deployment of the Bundeswehr Staff Music Corps, almost as much for the accommodation of the head of state, his wife Camilla and the entourage. The federal government paid almost 32,000 euros for this, a similar amount for "flags and carpets". For gifts, therefore, 2283.10 euros were booked.
The last visit of Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2015 cost around 500,000 euros, according to the report, also excluding the costs of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This visit lasted one day longer. The most expensive item at that time with 207,000 euros was the use of the Air Force, among other things for the honorary escort of the royal aircraft by two Eurofighters, as the magazine further reported.
"The Federal Minister of Finance wants to save at every nook and cranny," said the Left budget politician Gesine Lötzsch of the "mirror". "Only when King Charles III comes to Germany will money no longer be an issue."