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Prince Philip meets distant German family on trip with Queen


June 25, 2015
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Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was reunited with two of his German relatives on Thursday, as the Duke and the Queen spent time in the city of Frankfurt. At a lunch hosted in the City Hall, Philip met with his 81-year-old nephew, Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, and his distant cousin Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse.

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The Queen and Philip wave from the City Hall balcony

Philip, who was born in Greece to the Greek and Danish royal families, is related to the two men through his sisters: Maximilian's father Berthed was married to the Duke’s sister Theodora, and Prince Donatus is related through another sister, Sophie, who married Christoph of Hesse.

Joined by the Queen, the royal couple made their way through the city of Frankfurt to a joyous reception by the locals.

The pair were treated to a 300metre-long red carpet, to ensure they didn't have to make their way over the cobbled streets.

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The crowds lined the streets of Frankfurt to see the British royal couple

It is estimated that around 10,000 locals made their way out on the streets to wave British and German flags and greet the two, and one royal fan, 16-year-old Jana Bergmann told British paper The Telegraph: "I love the Queen. She is an idol for everyone.

"We are all fascinated by her. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a living legend like the Queen."

queen 6 © Photo: Getty Images

The pair walked a 300metre-long red carpet

"She is just the Queen!" Jana replied when asked why she loves the Queen.

"She is always polite, she has been there for 60 years and never done anything wrong. She is just great."

Earlier in the day, the pair visited St. Paul's Church, the birthplace of German democracy. Here, a choir of 60 schoolchildren sang Die Gedanken Sind Frei, a German song about freedom of thought.

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