The Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima arrived in Brussels on Tuesday morning for a three-day state visit. They were welcomed at Brussels South Railway Station by the Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal). Unlike the previous state visit by a Dutch monarch to Belgium, when King Willem-Alexander’s mother Queen Beatrix came here in 2006, the Dutch royal couple travelled by train rather than flying.
After having left the station, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima headed for the Paleizenplein where they were greeted by King Filip and Queen Mathilde.
The state visit is something special as not only do Belgium and The Netherlands work closely together in a number of fields, but also there is also a strong friendship that has grown over the years between King Filip and King Willem-Alexander.This year is the 10th anniversary of both having become head of state of their respective countries.