1714
A German King in London
The House of Hanover
George I, Elector of Hanover, inherits the British throne. The two realms share a monarch until 1837.
UK-Germany Relations
Three hundred years of shared history, and a partnership being written anew.
Three Hundred Years
A Shared History
German-British relations, told in ten moments.
1840
A Royal Marriage
Victoria & Albert
Queen Victoria weds Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The British royal family becomes German.
1917
Renaming the Crown
The House of Windsor
Amid First World War anti-German sentiment, George V renames the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor.
1939–45
A Continent at War
The Second World War
For the second time in a generation, Britain and Germany stand on opposite sides of a world war.
1945
Occupation & Rebuilding
The British Zone
After the war, Britain governs north-west Germany as one of the four Allied occupying powers.
1955
From Enemies to Allies
West Germany Joins NATO
A decade after the war, former adversaries become Cold War partners within the Atlantic alliance.
1965
Reconciliation
The Queen in Germany
Queen Elizabeth II's state visit, the first by a British monarch in over 50 years, seals the post-war peace.
1990
A Nation Made Whole
German Reunification
Britain, as one of the Four Powers, signs the Two Plus Four Treaty, clearing the way for a united Germany.
2020
A Parting of Ways?
Brexit
The UK leaves the European Union on 31 January, four years after the referendum, the two now partners outside the same union.
2025
A New Friendship
The Kensington Treaty
Signed on 17 July, it is the first bilateral friendship treaty between Britain and Germany since the Second World War.
2026
German British Conference
A New Chapter Begins
Ten years after Brexit, Britain and Germany's next generation of leaders gather in Oxford.
The Partnership Today
Where Britain and Germany Meet
01
Defence & Security
Europe's two largest defence spenders: partners in GCAP, intelligence-sharing and the response from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific.
02
Trade & Investment
Germany is the UK's largest European trading partner, with over £150 billion in bilateral trade each year.
03
Research & Academia
UK and German universities lead Europe in research, from AI and quantum to climate and life sciences.
04
Climate & Energy
Joint North Sea offshore wind, hydrogen and interconnector projects driving both nations towards net zero.