Queen Máxima has begun her mission to America. She landed alone at the San Francisco airport on the night of Monday to Tuesday (Dutch time). King Willem-Alexander was due to visit California and Texas, but had to cancel due to lung complaints.
By our news editorsThe government information service said the air travel could hamper the king’s full recovery from pneumonia.
Queen Máxima’s visit lasts until Friday and begins with a meeting with the mayor of San Francisco in the state of California. Afterwards, the Queen will visit The Castro, known for its lhbtiq + community. In the evening, he addresses a networking reception at San Francisco City Hall.
Thursday’s trip continues to Texas State. In Austin, Queen Máxima speaks with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is known for his very conservative views on abortion. Texas has one of the strictest abortion laws in the US: abortions are prohibited after six weeks.
Queen Máxima was not entirely alone on a work visit. Ministers Liesje Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation), Ernst Kuipers (Public Health) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education) and State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen (Infrastructure and Water Management) visited the US.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen economic ties
A large part of the working visit is devoted to economic relations between the Netherlands and California and Texas. Climate and energy, water management and (biomedical) science will also be discussed.
For example, cabinet members with the Queen will visit Silicon Valley and talk to Dutch entrepreneurs in California. In Houston, which was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, knowledge is also shared on how to deal with flooding.
This is the Queen’s first official visit to the US since 2015. That year they met then-President Barack Obama. The Oranges did not visit when Republican Donald Trump was president. No meeting with current President Joe Biden is scheduled during this mission.