Courtesy of: the Morning News
Islanders of every stripe and background lined the sidewalks of L.G. Smith Boulevard in Oranjestad to greet HRM King Willem-Alexander and his wife HRM Queen Maxima, during the official welcome of their first visit to the island since ascending the throne last April.
The monarchs are not strangers to Aruba, having enjoyed a visit with then Queen Beatrix two years ago in 2011. Beatrix abdicated in favor of her son the day before the national holiday of Queen’s Day, April 30, when he was inaugurated.
The royal couple is completing their six-island tour of the Dutch Caribbean territories. They were officially greeted by Aruba’s Prime Minister M. G. Eman, and the monarch’s appointed representative on Aruba, Governor Fredis Refunjol, before HRM King Willem-Alexander performed a ritual inspection of an honor guard from the Royal Dutch Marines stationed on Aruba. A sampling of island music was provided by Etty Toppenberg and the Tutti-Frutti Children’s Choral led by Maybelline Arends-Croes. Club di Movimiento performed traditional folkloric dance.
They were then escorted into Governor Refunjol offices, were they met with his cabinet. From there they were welcomed into Parliament, where they met with the newly inaugurated Cabinet of Ministers and members of Parliament. They were officially greeted by Parliamentary Chairperson Marisol Lopez-Tromp. The ceremonial welcome ended with them conferring with Prime Minister Eman in his offices and receiving a tour of the newly completed annex to the government offices.
Today, the king and queen will enjoy a “Royal Jump Up” with elementary school children at the Guillermo Trinidad Stadium on the eastern outskirts of Oranjestad.
Two royal visits or “Bishita Real” in Papiamento, within two years, is a rare and exciting opportunity for island residents to demonstrate their affection for this very popular king and queen. HRM Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were greeted with enthusiasm by all ages, decked out in the colors of their royal linage, The House of Orange-Nassau.
