The Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima came to Austria on a state visit on Monday. In addition to the federal capital of Vienna, where they will spend two days, the visit will also take the royal couple to the Styrian capital of Graz. In Vienna, the royal couple and especially the sympathetic queen were received by cheering people.
The visit started on Monday with a reception with military honors in the inner courtyard by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife Doris Schmidauer. The queen, dressed all in red, had to keep holding her wide-brimmed hat because of the wind. The Federal President last paid an official visit to the Netherlands in mid-November 2018. The meeting between the royal couple and the presidential couple should not have been all that formal. Photos show a heartily laughing Maxima in conversation with Van der Bellen and Schmidauer. Enthusiastic reception in Vienna The Viennese also received the royal couple with enthusiasm. Onlookers photographed the convoy of royal guests in the ring. And numerous royal fans had also gathered in front of the Hofburg to catch a glimpse of Maxima and Willem-Alexander. There was even cheering as the couple waved to them. Many snapped a souvenir photo for eternity. The royal couple was received at the airport beforehand by Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Visit to the Shoah Wall of Names in Vienna down the Jewish women, children and men who were murdered in the Holocaust. The royal and federal presidents visited the memorial together with Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler. Willem-Alexander and Maxima paid particular attention to names related to the Netherlands. At the end, they each laid a pebble on the wall – as is customary in Judaism to commemorate the dead had been murdered because of their Jewish origin. It was opened on November 9, 2021 by the then Chancellor Schallenberg.Entered in the Golden BookAfter visiting the memorial, the royal couple met Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig and members of the City Senate in the City Hall, where they signed the city’s Golden Book. He welcomed the visitors in the city senate meeting room. Ludwig referred to the close ties between the Netherlands and the city of Vienna. For example, there are regular exchanges with the municipalities on topics such as urban development. The mayor reported that the head of the municipal administration of Amsterdam will soon be a guest in Vienna. Ludwig also referred to the solidarity after the terrorist attack in Vienna in 2020. At that time, the Netherlands gave 10,000 tulip bulbs “as a sign of solidarity and humanity”. These were planted in parks – many in the immediate vicinity of the assassination site. Ludwig thanked them again for this “visible sign of solidarity”. “Vienna is a city to fall in love with and a place where you quickly feel at home,” emphasized Willem-Alexander. The heart of Europe beats here. “This is the moment to move closer together with our European friends.” Together we believe in freedom, in humanity and in peaceful cooperation. “Not too far away, these values are grossly violated,” he emphasized. Willem-Alexander thanked him for the invitation to the town hall and stated: “Living in Vienna makes people happy. What’s the secret? We hope to learn more about it during our visit.” After a quick drink, the royal couple set off again. Accompanied by the second President of the National Council, Doris Bures, they visited the parliament building, which is currently being renovated. Visit to the bread factory On Tuesday, Willem-Alexander and Maxima will first visit an integration project in the bread factory (Vienna-Favoriten). a meeting with refugees from the Ukraine was planned, then a visit to the Sonnwendviertel near Vienna Central Station. A visit to the National Library is then scheduled, followed by a working meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer. In the evening, a concert by the Dutch Chamber Choir in the Konzerthaus is on the program. Train trip to Graz The third day of the visit is primarily dedicated to mobility. Together with the Federal President couple, they travel by train to Graz, where they visit the headquarters of the mobility group AVL. After a reception by the Mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, and a subsequent lunch with the outgoing Governor of Styria, Hermann Schützenhöfer, the state visit concludes with a presentation the Graz cycling offensive 2030 on the Murinsel.Three daughtersWillem-Alexander is the eldest of Queen Beatrix’s three sons and has been King of the Netherlands since his mother’s abdication on April 30, 2013.The royal couple have three daughters: the ones who came of age last December Crown Princess Amalia (18) and Princesses Alexia – she turned 17 yesterday – and Ariane (15). Vorarlberg). This is also where one of the most serious strokes of fate of the royal family happened in recent times: Willem-Alexander’s brother Prince Friso was buried by an avalanche in February 2012 while skiing in unsecured terrain. He died in 2013 at the age of 44 as a result of the accident.
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