Court Circular 23rd October:
The King and Queen of the Netherlands today commenced a State Visit in London to The Queen.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall welcomed Their Majesties on behalf of Her Majesty at the Residence in London of the Ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Court of St James’s.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands, accompanied by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, drove to Horse Guards and were met by The Queen.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands, accompanied by The Queen, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, drove in a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry.
Gun Salutes were fired in Green Park by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.
Guards of Honour were provided at Horse Guards by 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards and at Buckingham Palace by The Queen’s Colour Squadron, Royal Air Force.
Her Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and a Detachment of Household Cavalry were on duty.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands this afternoon drove to Westminster Abbey where His Majesty laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands later visited the Palace of Westminster and were received by the Lord Speaker (the Lord Fowler) and the Rt Hon John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons).
The Speaker welcomed Their Majesties and The King of the Netherlands delivered an Address.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands subsequently attended a Reception with Peers, Members of Parliament and other guests.
Their Majesties afterwards visited The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House.
The Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP (Leader of the Opposition) called upon The King and Queen of the Netherlands at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen gave a State Banquet this evening in honour of The King and Queen of the Netherlands at which The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent were present.
The following had the honour of being invited:
Suite of The King and Queen of the Netherlands:
His Excellency Mr Stef Blok (Minister of Foreign Affairs), His Excellency Mr Jan Versteeg (Grand Master of the Royal Household), His Excellency Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar (Adjutant-General to The King of the Netherlands and Chief of the Military Household), His Excellency Mr Simon Smits (Ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Court of St James’s) and Mrs Astrid Smits-Kleinen, Mrs Yoka Brandt (Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Mr Chris Breedveld (Director of The King of the Netherlands’ Office), Mr Simon van der Burg (Master of Ceremonies to The King of the Netherlands), Mr Sjoert Klein Schiphorst (Marshal of the Court of The King of the Netherlands), Mr Herman Quarles van Ufford (Deputy Director-General, Government Information Service), and Mrs Annemijn Crince le Roy-van Munster van Heuven (Lady-in-Waiting to The Queen of the Netherlands).
Specially attached to The King and Queen of the Netherlands:
Mrs Michael Gordon Lennox (Lady in Waiting), the Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) and the Viscountess Hood, the Hon Peter Wilson (Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands) and Dr Mónica Roma Wilson, and Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah (Equerry in Waiting).
Diplomatic Corps:
His Excellency the Ambassador from the State of Kuwait.
The Cabinet and Government:
The Prime Minister and Mr Philip May, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs Philip Hammond, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Defence (the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP), the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Mrs Gregory Clark, the Leader of the House of Lords (the Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) and Mr James Wild, and the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan MP (Minister of State for Europe and the Americas) and Mr James Dunseath.
Special Invitations:
Major General and Mrs Benjamin Bathurst, Dame Janet Beer and Mr David Woodman, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP and Mrs Benn, Mr Clive Betts MP and Mr James Thomas, the Rt Hon Ian Blackford MP and Mrs Blackford, Mr Marc Bolland, the Lord and Lady Burnett of Maldon, the Rt Hon Sir Vincent Cable MP and Lady Cable, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs Justin Welby, Mr and Mrs Bruce Carnegie-Brown, General Sir Nicholas and Lady Carter, Mr Bart Cornelis and Ms Elizabeth Rabineau, Mr Tim de Wit, Mr and Mrs Pieter Duisenberg, the Lord Speaker and the Lady Fowler, Professor Peter Frankopan and Ms Jessica Sainsbury, Dame Clara Furse and Mr Richard Furse, Professor Stan Gielen, Mrs Evelien Gentis-Smit and Mr Philip Gentis, Mr and Mrs Gerard Kleisterlee, Mr Klaas Knot and Mrs Tiny de Boer, Mr Paul Lightfoot and Ms Sol León, the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, Major and Mrs Kenneth Mayhew, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas and Mr Christopher Jonas, Sir Simon and the Hon Lady McDonald, Mr and Mrs Andrew Mitchell, the Lord Newby and the Reverend Canon the Hon Lady Newby, Dr Philip and Mrs Nolan, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, Sir Michael and Lady Perry, Mr and Mrs Paul Polman, Mrs Kate and Mrs Helen Richardson-Walsh, Professor Alexander Rinnooy Kan and Ms Eva van der Dussen, Sir Mark Sedwill, the Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP and the Hon Mr Justice Nugee, Dr Patrick Vallance and Ms Sophie Dexter, Mr Ben van Beurden and Mrs Stacey Dickson-van Beurden, Mr Jean-François van Boxmeer and Mrs Valérie Behaegel, Professor Wim van Saarloos and Mrs Nynke Smits, Miss Sari van Veenendaal, Sir Mark and Lady Walport, and the Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster (Councillor Lindsey Hall) and Miss Genevieve Hall.
Netherlands Royal Court and Embassy Invitations:
His Excellency Admiral and Mrs Robert Bauer, Mr Hans Büthker, Mrs Wieke Eringa and Mrs Sarah Squires, Mr Hans Hoogervorst and Mrs Yanrong Song, Professor Marcel Levi, Mr and Mrs Leo van der Linden, the Lord and Lady Malloch-Brown, the Lady Elizabeth Shakerley, Captain Wolter Sillevis Smitt, Mrs Brechje Swachöfer, Mrs Louise van Hellenberg Hubar, and Reverend Bertjan van der Lagemaat and Mrs Talitha Frohn.