President Hollande Visits the Netherlands

The President of the Republic of France, Francois Hollande, yesterday paid a visit to the Netherlands.

President Hollande was greeted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima (who repeated the icy blue dress with large bell sleeves first seen in November last year) in the courtyard of Noordeinde Palace, where the King and President inspected a guard of honour before the national anthems of both nations – Wilhelmus and La Marseillaise – were played.

The official party then went inside the palace where an audience was held, before a luncheon which was also attended by Princess Beatrix, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other members of the Dutch government.

During the lunch, orders between the heads of state were exchanged – King Willem-Alexander presented President Hollande with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion; while in return the Dutch royal couple received, respectively, the Grand Cross of the Legion d’Honneur and the Grand Cross of the Ordre National du Mérite.

In the afternoon, President Hollande left King Willem-Alexander and paid a visit to the Dutch parliament building, where he had meetings with the Prime Minister and the Presidents of the senate and the house of representatives. This was followed by the President’s attendance and speech at a round table meeting at the Scheepvaart Museum, where trade and industry were the main focus of the meeting.

The French President was not accompanied by his long-time partner, Valerie Trierweiler, who he said is “resting resting at La Lanterne {a French presidential residence}” following hospitalisation last week after the President’s infidelity was revealed by a French magazine.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Fashion, France, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Official Visit, Order of the Netherlands Lion, Orders, President Hollande of France, Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.