Queen Elizabeth warns 'division in Europe is dangerous' as she meets Merkel in shadow of EU talks

Chancellor Angela Merkel joined Berliners in rolling out the red carpet for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, with the monarch warning against a "division in Europe" as Britain debates its EU future.

Dyed-in-the-wool fans and tourists on Wednesday braved leaden skies to line the banks of the Spree River where the 89-year-old queen and her husband, Prince Philip, 94, kicked off a state visit with a brief boat trip though the capital's political district.

"Your majesty," shouted one hopeful onlooker; another played Britain's national anthem on a mobile phone.

Cellphone cameras held high tried to capture a fleeting moment of the queen's fifth state visit to Germany.

Some waved British flags; others talked about the queen's attire - an elegant white dress coat with a brimmed hat and gloves. But the much discussed colour palette of her wardrobe was not the only quality admired.

"Her charisma, her discipline and the lovely clothes," enthused Berlin resident Roswitha Meiritz.