Dutch Royals begin tour of St Maarten
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands have arrived in St Maarten for the fourth leg of their royal tour of the Dutch Caribbean islands.
The royals arrived at Princess Juliana International Airport, where Governor Ajamu Baly and Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs greeted them.
The first stop on the two-day journey was a tour of the airport, which had been severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
According to their official itinerary, the royals would spend the first day on St. Maarten getting a firsthand look at hurricane rehabilitation work.
The King and Queen, as well as the Princess of Orange, will participate in a disaster drill.
They will then tour an extension project at the St. Maarten Medical Centre and interact with patients.
The monarchs will dine with government leaders.
The royal party will be escorted on a Color Me SXM mural walk in Philipsburg in the afternoon.
The day will finish with a cultural show on the Philipsburg Boardwalk.
The royals will begin their second day with a visit to Fort Amsterdam.
They’ll embark on a birding trip to look for the island’s native bird, the brown pelican. The royals will be given a history lesson while at the fort.
The royals will pay a visit to residents of the White and Yellow Cross residential homes for senior persons and individuals with disabilities.
Following that, they will attend a science fair where primary and secondary school students will propose their ideas for minimizing plastic waste on the island.
The governor will hold an evening reception to complete the royal tour to St. Maarten.
