Dutch King and Queen visit Pennsylvania

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to see the Liberty Bell.

The King and Queen are on a multi-day working visit to the United States, which will see them travel to Pennsylvania, Florida, and Washington, D.C.

The first stop on the quick American tour was to the famous Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated and approved.

Credit: Commonwealth Media Services

Outside Independence Hall, the Governor and King gave speeches, with His Majesty addressing the Dutch ties to the United States.

Credit: Commonwealth Media Services

He said, “It means a lot to us to be visiting the United States in the year you celebrate your 250th anniversary. And where better to start than here in Philadelphia, in Independence Hall – a place where the story of the United States began.

“This is a historic site for the Dutch as well as the Americans. By declaring independence in 1776, the US lit a beacon of hope for all freedom-loving peoples. Of course, the course of world history changed, and the Netherlands was one of the first countries to recognise this new era and to embrace it.

“In fact, the very first official salute to your young nation came from Fort Oranje on Sint Eustatius, the small Caribbean island under the Dutch flag. It was a tribute to an American ship with a special gift on board: a copy of your Declaration of Independence, ratified here in Philadelphia four months earlier.”

He later said, “Your Declaration of Independence reflected our own national birth certificate, the Act of Abjuration, drawn up in 1581 in the struggle against Spanish domination,” before revealing that he brought a copy of the Act of Abjuration for the Governor. 

His Majesty shared his hope that the Dutch and Americans would “continue to cherish this centuries-old kinship between our nations.”

The King and Queen view the Liberty Bell. Credit: Commonwealth Media Services

The visit to Pennsylvania was important as Dutch companies employ thousands of Pennsylvanians, and historically, Dutch Quakers helped to found the state.

The King and Queen also stopped by the American professional football team, the Philadelphia Eagles’ training centre, where they both received special jerseys with their names on the back.

After leaving the state, they headed to Washington, D.C., where they will be guests of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House for an evening – a rare honour given to foreign dignitaries.