It's second time lucky for King Charles's first overseas state visit, when he touches down in Germany on Wednesday.
It should have begun at the weekend in France, but when it looked like the King was flying into a riot zone the initial stage of the visit had to be postponed.
The French protests were a reminder that even fairy-tale palaces have real-world political consequences, and it became impossible for President Macron to host King Charles at Versailles, with the prospect of angry protesters outside the gates.
A bouquet of tear gas and unemptied bins wasn't exactly the right atmosphere for the diplomatic courtship of a state visit.
So several days later than planned, a curtailed trip is getting under way again, with King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla arriving in Berlin for a three-day visit.
But the underlying purpose remains the same. There is a symbolic importance attached to the first state visit of a new reign and this is about showing that Europe is the UK's diplomatic priority.
"There is an obvious rationale for the visit - to improve relations after Brexit," says Sir Vernon Bogdanor, leading constitutional expert and historian.