PHILIPSBURG:--- King Willem Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima had a packed schedule on their first official visit to St. Maarten since King Willem Alexander was crowned in April 2013.
The Royal Couple arrived on St. Maarten on Tuesday 12th November but they chose to rest at their hotel for the first afternoon after a long flight from the Netherlands to St. Maarten. On Wednesday, the Royal Couple started off their day by the King inspecting the uniform troupes at the Clem Labega Square at 9am sharp. The Governor of St. Maarten drs. Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams and Queen Maxima looked sharply as King Willem Alexander inspected the troupes, while the seven Ministers from the Council of Ministers stood in a straight line and looked on also.
After the official inspection of the uniform troupes, they left for an official visit to the Governor's Office then to the House of Parliament where they met with the Members of Parliament. The House of Parliament was nicely decorated with orange ribbons, flowers, and trees. Students from Oranje School and Sister Borgia School lined the sidewalk to get a glimpse of the King and Queen and waved orange flags as they arrived at the House of Parliament.
King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima then went to the Government Administration Building where they were greeted with by a number of students from Oranje School, Sister Borgia School, and St. Joseph School.
Traveling with the Royal Couple on their first official visit to St. Maarten was Minister of Interior and Overseas Affairs Ronald Plasterk who met with the Council of Ministers before they emerged on the balcony of the Government Administration Building to wave to the people that gathered outside to get a glimpse of them.
On their way out, a young student from Sister Borgia school grabbed Queen Maxima and refused to let go as she hugged the Queen tightly. As they left the Government Administration Building, the Royal Couple shook almost every child's hand as they mingled and smiled with them. King Alexander was seen asking the students who waited outside in the hot sun some questions about their studies.
The second part of the Royal Visit commenced after a short lunch break where the Royal Couple headed to the Milton Peters College where they interacted with the students who showed them the projects they each worked on. Both King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima asked the students what were their plans after school and if they intended to travel overseas to further their studies.
Students of Sundial School also participated in the showcase at the Milton Peters College. After that, they visited the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex which is fully renovated. On the grounds were several sportsmen, and Minister Maurice Lake who joined the Royal entourage, including Governor Holiday and Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams to watch a part of a football match between Milton Peters College and the St. Maarten Academy. The stands at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex were filled to its capacity as the Royal Couple and those from the local government sat in the center of the field to watch the game.
The Royal Couple continued their official visit to various buildings on Front Street. They started off at the Orange School where the primary school students sang for them before they entered building to take a look at the oldest school on Front Street.
While security was high and there was a host of media persons looking for the best shots of the Royal Couple, the entire Front Street was lined with people on both sides, all of whom wanted to shake the King and Queen's hands. King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima walked down Front Street as they moved to the other location. While walking they shook the hands of the people that waited to see them and waived at those that could not reach to get a handshake. Their second stop was at the Methodist Church, there they walked the grounds of the church and looked at some of the signs while some students from the Methodist Agogic Center greeted them with a song. After that they entered the church where the choir of the Methodist church performed for them in song.
As they moved to their final stop on Front Street the Royal Couple continued with their friendly demeanor by shaking the hands of the people that gathered alongside the road to see them. They ended the first part of their official visit at the Court of First Instance. There they went inside with their entourage and met with Court House officials. The Royal Couple will finalize their official visit on St. Maarten on Wednesday where they will attend a cultural event Wednesday evening at Festival Village.
Click here to view more photos of the Royal Couple's official visit to St. Maarten 1.
Click here to view more photos of the Royal Couple's official visit to St. Maarten 2.
