Saturday 12 March 2016

Day two of the Dutch State Visit to France

They might only have been there for two days but King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima packed in plenty during their State Visit to France. And on day two, it was an unannounced visit that made a big impact as the Dutch royals spent some time at a cafe which was one of the scenes of the Paris attacks in November last year.



King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at Le Carillon in Paris during their two day visit to France
(photo @oninklijkhuis Twitter)

Willem-Alexander and Maxima stopped at Le Carillon which came under fire on the night of November 13th 2015. They met the cafe owner, Mokrane Hadjem, some first aid workers and local residents and heard about the attacks, which left 137 people dead across the city, as well as the impact in the days, weeks and months afterwards. Le Carillon reopened in January but the aftermath of what happened on that night still resonates.



The visit to Le Carillon wasn't on the official schedule and it wasn't publicised beforehand. But it was the most poignant moment of the two day State Visit which also saw Willem-Alexander and Maxima talk about trade, the environment and links between France and the Netherlands.




Day two had included a meeting with the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and discussions about cycling and environmentally friendly transport. Which was a great cue for Willem-Alexander and Maxima to hop on an electric bus to head off for the rest of their day.




The next stops included discussions about the economy and the signing of a contract between French and Dutch businesses at a meeting of Business Federations from the two countries.




The afternoon included a meeting all about business start ups as well as participation in a symposium on peace and security.





And just when we thought it must be time to go home, the royal guests hosted an evening of music at Le Petit Palais to say thank you to their host, President Francois Hollande of France.




The evening was just as glamourous and star studded as the State Dinner the night before - the end of a busy two days.

And there is a special page about the two State Visits this week here.

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