This Thursday, June 13, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands concluded their official trip to the United States, visiting New York. The visit, highlighting communities, energy technologies and urban planning, was also an opportunity to recall New York City’s Dutch past.
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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima in Brooklyn
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited the east coast of the United States. Their journey began Monday in Atlanta, then the next day in Savannah, two cities in the state of Georgia. On Wednesday, they arrived in Albany, capital of New York State, before joining New York City this Thursday, June 13, 2024.
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It was in Brooklyn, in the East Flatbush neighborhood, that the Dutch sovereigns began their visits. The King and Queen of the Netherlands strolled through the neighborhood, accompanied by representatives of local authorities and a group of residents.
The communities living in the neighborhood explained their various concerns to the sovereign. Some are grouped into associations and try to provide solutions to urban challenges, particularly in terms of access to housing. This area of Brooklyn also includes a neighborhood with a high concentration of Caribbean immigrants, some of whom come from the Dutch Caribbean.
In the afternoon, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited New Lab, a start-up incubator space located in Brooklyn’s historic Navy Yard neighborhood. The royal couple spoke to entrepreneurs seeking financing. The different financing solutions were discussed, also focusing on accelerating the development of technologies in the energy transition sector.
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400 years of Dutch history in New York
The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York has launched Future 400, a series of events dedicated to commemorating 400 years of Dutch presence in New York during the year 2024. In 1609, Englishman Henry Hudson landed in New York York on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The entire region along the Hudson River (then called Mauritius, in honor of the Prince of Orange) was called New Netherland. The first permanent European presence in the region dates from 1624. Dutch settlers settled on the island of Manhattan, then called New Amsterdam. As the population of Dutch settlers grew to more than 9,000 people in the decades that followed, Governor Stuyvesant eventually ceded New Amsterdam to the English in 1664. The English renamed the city New York, in honor of the Duke of York, future James II of England.
As part of the Future 400 program events, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited the exhibition depicting the Dutch history of New York. The exhibition is based around the Castello Plan, a 17th century map which provides a precise view of the city’s situation around the 1660s when Dutch settlers settled in Manhattan. 3D models and films allow you to virtually walk the streets of the city at that time.
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High Line Walk and Evening with the Mayor of New York
The late afternoon of the Dutch rulers ended on the High Line. This famous promenade is an urban development built on a former elevated railway line. The High Line passes through urban gardens and relaxation areas designed by Piet Oudolf. During the walk, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima received explanations about the life of residents around the High Line and its importance in their daily lives.
In the evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were invited to a reception to conclude their trip to the United States. New York Mayor Eric Adams invited the royal couple to the Spiral on Hudson Boulevard.
Local politicians and representatives of Dutch companies based in New York attended the reception, during which King Willem-Alexander also gave a short speech. “One of the hallmarks of free societies like yours and ours is that there is always room for new perspectives and new dialogue. And for introspection and reconciliation »said King Willem-Alexander. “It is one of the most precious values of a free society. Let us cherish our core values. Because that’s where our strength lies. »
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
