Above: King Willem-Alexander on the royal visit (Photo: SMG)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visited St Maarten this week, the first stop on a tour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Caribbean territories.

Willem-Alexander and Maxima met with Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams on Wednesday, taking a brief tour of the Government Administration building and then appearing on the balcony, joined by crowds of onlookers.

The royal couple also visited schools, sports facilities and historic monuments in Philipsburg in the afternoon.

The King and Queen will also be visiting Saba, Statia, Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao on the trip, along with a visit to Venezuela.

It is the pair’s first trip to the Dutch Caribbean since taking the throne in April of this year.