King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima paid a state visit to Cyprus on Tuesday 4 March and Wednesday 5 March. The visit was at the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides. The focus of the visit was “cooperation in the areas of security, academia, culture, and sustainability.” Cyprus is an island country in Europe near Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. It has a population of around 925,000. Like The Netherlands, Cyprus is a member of the European Union.
The visit made headlines from the very beginning as King Willem-Alexander was the pilot on the flight to Cyprus. He was photographed in the cockpit after landing. From there, the King and Queen were received by President Christodoulides and his wife, Philippa Karsera, at the Presidential Palace. A wreath laying, meetings, and brief statements to the press then took place. The King and Queen visited the House of Representatives of Cyprus and signed the visitors’ book.
In the afternoon, the royal couple visited the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) and the Zenon Center. These centres are key strategic sites for Europe during times of crisis. The King and Queen were given a tour and shown how these centres handle evacuation and international cooperation activities in a time of crisis. They then visited Sun Potatoes, which is a resilient farming facility that gets special seeds that thrive in dry soil from the Dutch company HZPC. The King and Queen saw the fields and packing facility and spoke with farmers and scientists.
In the evening, President Christodoulides hosted a state banquet at the Presidential Palace. For the event, Queen Maxima chose one of her most loved and worn tiaras, the Dutch diamond bandeau tiara. She wore this tiara with a red cape gown by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau.
On the second and last day of the visit, the King and Queen visited Nicosia. They then met with Cypriot alumni from Dutch universities. They heard from the alumni about their experience in The Netherlands and what they have taken back to Cyprus. After that, the royal couple visited an archaeological site and saw the excavations and reconstructions.
In the afternoon, they went to the Dutch ambassador’s official residence and spoke with Dutch nationals who live and work in Cyprus. Finally, in the evening, the King and Queen hosted a concert and reception for President Christodoulides. The concert featured Dutch harpist Remy von Kesteren together with Cypriot musicians. The King and Queen host the event to thank the President and others involved in the state visit for the hospitality shown. This is the last event of the state visit, and the King and Queen then return home to The Netherlands. There is no word on whether King Willem-Alexander piloted the return flight.
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