His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima and Her Royal Highness Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, will visit the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from Friday 27 January to Thursday 9 February 2023. They will visit Bonaire, Aruba and Curaçao before heading to Sint Maarten, Saint Eustatius and Saba.
Representatives from the different islands have drawn up a program covering topics such as culture, nature, colonial history, sports and defense operations, and including encounters with the inhabitants of the islands. Family will be accompanied by State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitization, Alexandra van Huffelen.
Arrival in Sint Maarten on February 6
The King and Queen and Princess of Orange will be welcomed at Princess Juliana International Airport by the Governor of Sint Maarten, Ajamu Baly and Prime Minister, Silveria Jacobs.
The first day of the visit will be dedicated to rebuilding the country after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The Royal Family will visit the airport which is currently still being rebuilt. During a visit from the emergency and disaster response services, the King and Queen and Princess of Orange will watch a disaster drill. They will then visit the Sint Maarten Medical Center. This hospital plays a key role in the region and also treats many patients from Saint-Eustache and Saba.
The King, Queen and Princess will address patients and be informed of the expansion of the hospital. They will then have lunch with the cabinet.
In the afternoon, the royal group will take part in a 'Color Me SXM in Philipsburg' walk. These murals are meant to brighten up Philipsburg, as many buildings in the city are still vacant or damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The day will end with lively presentations of the culture of Sint Maarten along a walking route and a concert on the Philipsburg Boardwalk.
The royal program of February 7
On the morning of Tuesday, February 7, the King and Queen and Princess of Orange will visit Fort Amsterdam. There they will go on an ornithological excursion in search of the brown pelican, the island's national bird. They will also discover the history of the fort. They will then meet with members of parliament and the youth parliament of Sint Maarten. At the White Cross and Yellow Cross Residential Home for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, the Dutch Royal Family will learn about the daytime activities organized for the residents. Afterwards, they will visit a science fair, where primary and secondary school students will present their solutions to reduce plastic waste on the island.
In the afternoon, the King and Queen and Princess of Orange will visit Resources for Community Resilience (R4CR). R4CR is disbursing World Bank funds for projects to rebuild the island after Hurricane Irma, through a trust fund. Participants will talk with representatives of civil society organizations about their projects and with young people about their work in various organizations. They will then visit a school garden project where they will talk to students about their work in the garden and the importance of gardening for their mental health. In Emilio Wilson Park, schoolchildren will talk about their dreams for the future of their island and plant yellow sage, the island's national flower. Next, the King and Queen and Princess of Orange will travel to St Peters Hill, where they will learn about nature conservation in St Maarten. This hill borders the French part of the island. The afternoon will end with a youth baseball tournament.
In the evening, the group will attend a reception hosted by the Governor.
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