German president tells King Charles how BFBS kept him glued to the radio as a teen
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier has told King Charles how a certain number stays with him from his childhood – that number being the frequency for BFBS Radio.
Speaking at a state banquet at Windsor Castle, he told the King: "It is a number that is part of my early personal memories of the United Kingdom. A number that, for me as someone born after the war, is forever inextricably linked to their country.
"The number 95.4. 95.4 was the frequency of the British Forces Broadcasting Service, the frequency that could be received in my childhood home region of Detmold."
Global-mindedness, not navel-gazing
Mr Steinmeier's trip to the UK marks the first time in 27 years that a German leader has visited the country on a state visit.
Over three days, Windsor Castle is serving as the setting of pageantry, politics and culture, hosted by Charles and Camilla.
"For me, 95.4 was the radio frequency that opened a window onto another world from my teenager's bedroom," he told the royals. "And that was the case for many people of my generation.
"We got to know a country that we Germans admired. Not only for its music, but also for its culture, its way of life. A global-mindedness that was quite different from the navel-gazing engaged in by Germans.
"Never could I have imagined that later, just a little older, I would be the guest of the British King at Windsor Castle."
Mr Steinmeier grew up in Detmold, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, where British soldiers were stationed after the Second World War, based at Hobart Barracks from around 1945 until it closed in 1995.
The president explained how their presence had "left their mark on the entire region", especially in his youth when they introduced him to rugby.
Thank you for the music
During his speech, he reminisced about listening to BFBS – especially the music.
"In my case, it was a passion for good music on BFBS 95.4 that glued me to the radio as a youngster," he explained.
"So much so that it was sometimes hard to turn it off late in the evening. However, if you stayed awake long enough, you would hear the Evening Hymn and the Bugle Call and, finally, the Band of the Royal Marines would play the National Anthem.
"As a teenager, often enough I fell asleep to the strains of the British National Anthem."
The German president was welcomed by more than 950 personnel from across all three services on his arrival.
The Household Division provided a key role – a Sovereign's Escort for the carriage procession.
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