STATE VISIT OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS
23rd – 24th October 2018
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Maxima, will pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom as the guests of The Queen from 23rd to 24th October 2018. Their Majesties will stay at Buckingham Palace during the visit.
This will be the first State Visit to the UK by The King and Queen of the Netherlands.
The last State Visit from the Netherlands was by Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus in November 1982. Before that, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard paid a State Visit to the UK in April 1972.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh paid a State Visit to Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in March 1958.
TUESDAY 23rd OCTOBER
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will greet The King and Queen of the Netherlands on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence on Tuesday morning. The King and Queen will have arrived privately in the UK the day before (Monday 22nd October).
Their Royal Highnesses will then travel with Their Majesties to Horse Guards Parade, where The King and Queen will receive a Ceremonial Welcome.
The Queen will formally welcome The King and Queen on Horse Guards Parade. Presentations will be made, the Guard of Honour will give a Royal Salute and the Dutch National Anthem will be played. The King, accompanied by The Prince of Wales, will inspect the Guard of Honour, formed of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. Afterwards, The King and Queen will join The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall for a State Carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
Following a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, given by The Queen, Her Majesty will invite The King and Queen of the Netherlands to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery, made up of items from the Royal Collection relating to the Netherlands.
Afterwards, The King and Queen will visit Westminster Abbey, where The King and Queen will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior as prayers are said by the Dean. They will then be taken on a short tour of the Abbey, which will include visiting the resting place of William and Mary.
Later on, The King and Queen will visit the Palace of Westminster, where they will be welcomed by the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker. The King will deliver an Address in the Royal Gallery to Parliamentarians and other guests, followed by a reception with Members and invited guests.
In the afternoon The King and The Queen will meet The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House.
Afterwards, The King and The Queen will receive an official call by the Leader of the Opposition, The Rt Hon. Jeremy Corbyn MP, at Buckingham Palace.
In the evening, Her Majesty The Queen will give a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for The King and Queen of the Netherlands. Her Majesty The Queen and The King will both make speeches at the start of the banquet.
WEDNESDAY 24th OCTOBER
On Wednesday morning, Their Majesties will attend a breakfast given by the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation at Mansion House, alongside business representatives from both the UK and the Netherlands. The King and Queen will be accompanied by The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
The breakfast will be followed by a UK-Netherlands Innovation Showcase, also at Mansion House, and hosted by the Department for International Trade Minister for Investment and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe. The event will provide interactive demonstrations of cutting-edge technology from UK and Dutch tech start-ups, including the Exo-Skeleton by Project MARCH and Hypervsn, to showcase the Netherlands and the UK as partners in innovation.
The King and Queen will then travel to HMS Belfast, where the Dutch vessel HNLMS ZEELAND, currently in the UK for training purposes, will be moored alongside. Accompanied by The Duke of Kent, Their Majesties will meet with representatives and veterans from both the UK and Netherlands Armed Forces, before watching an on-the-water capability demonstration. The demonstration will showcase the 45 years of cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the Royal Marines. Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex will also be present.
The King and Queen will then travel to south London community project Pop Brixton. Housed in shipping containers, Pop Brixton has converted disused land in the area into a creative space for local, independent businesses and social enterprises. Their Majesties will be accompanied on the visit by The Earl and Countess of Wessex. Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses will hear about the vision behind the project from its founders, before touring the space and seeing the on-site community farm and fridge.
During the tour, Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses will meet with organisations currently benefiting from facilities offered by Pop Brixton. Amongst them will be Bounce Back, a charity and social enterprise focussed on the training and employment of ex-offenders. They will also meet with representatives from businesses who have “graduated” from Pop Brixton, and an art class for local children will be underway.
Following this, The King and Queen will visit No. 10 Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Theresa May MP.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands will then formally bid farewell to The Queen at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon. Their Majesties will depart privately from London.
