King Willem-Alexander and Governor Lucille George-Wout greet each other on his arrival in Willemstad last evening. Photo:
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Catharina-Amalia, the Princess of Orange have arrived in Curaçao for the third leg of their tour of the kingdom’s Caribbean territories.
The royals arrived last evening, hours later than their scheduled arrival in Willemstad after the navel patrol vessel that was supposed to ferry them from Aruba to Curaçao reportedly developed a mechanical issue.
The Royal Couple and Princess of Orange got to experience the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard’s operations and sailed part of their journey on a FRISC, which is an interception vessel used to stop drug trafficking boats.
The Dutch royals meeting with crew members of the MS Holland yesterday. Photo via the Ministry of Defence.
The King, Queen Máxima and the Princess of Orange received a tour of the vessel MS Holland and met with the crew for lunch.
Governor Lucille George-Wout greeted the royals on their arrival before taking them to a welcome ceremony and a meeting with members of the Council of Ministers and Members of State.
Today will be packed with activities for the royals.
Their official schedule said today’s activities will commence in Willemstad with a walk over the Queen Emma Bridge to Brión Square, where the King will give the starting signal for registration for the King’s Games.
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Catharina-Amalia, the Princess of Orange. Photo by Patrick van Katwijk.
Afterwards, the party will tour the Otrobanda district, talking to residents and artists and watching musical performances. This will be followed by a lunch with representatives of the Curaçaoan authorities in the Governor’s Palace.
In the afternoon the royal party will visit the Punda and Scharloo districts.
In Punda the King will strike a coin to mark the 25th anniversary of Willemstad becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The party will also paint a chichi, a traditional Curaçaoan sculpture symbolising the responsible eldest sister in a family.
They will then go on a walk through the Scharloo district, with street art, music and youth sports projects. The walking tour will end at Princess Amalia Bridge, where the party will listen to Amalia Waltz, a piece composed for the Princess.
In the evening, a dinner will be held at the Cathedral of Thorns, attended by 21 residents who make a valuable contribution to their community. The number of guests reflects the fact that it is the royal couple’s 21st wedding anniversary on that day.