Woman’s Day was in the Netherlands as the Duchess of Cambridge made her historic first-ever official overseas engagement on her own.
First up was a “courtesy call” with the Dutch monarch, King Willem-Alexander, at his home at Villa Eikenhorst, Wasenaar, where the pair talked about parenting over lunch.
Then it was on to the Mauritshuis Museum, where art fan Kate admired Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” while – not coincidentally – wearing pearl and diamond earrings borrowed from the Queen.
The Duchess greets King Willem-Alexander. Photo: Getty
Royal fan Alizia Valdor, a hotel concierge from Amsterdam, was waiting outside the gallery with an orange tulip to give to the duchess.
She told us, “I’ve watched every single documentary about Kate. She’s the authority on what it means to be a modern royal. I love the glamour, the fashion and the focus she brings to important causes. She’s a role model for young woman – not everyone needs to be twerking like Kim Kardashian. Her story is a fairytale and she looked really good today. She always does. I’ve never seen her in an outfit I didn’t like.”
Her friend Blandine de Kreuk, a housewife from Bilthoven, added, “I went to England five years ago to see her wedding, but I got stuck in a crowd and only got a picture of Charles and Camilla. I’m here to redeem myself.
“I’ve followed the British royal family, and a bit of the Dutch, ever since Princess Diana – the royals weren’t very glamorous up until then. She changed the royals and made them more popular.”
Kate charmed the crowds who turned out to see her in the Netherlands. Photo: Getty
After her arty experience, Kate visited the British ambassador’s residence in The Hague for a roundtable discussion on the themes of addiction, intervention, family and mental health, which brought together renowned charity workers from the Netherlands and the UK.
Finally, the duchess made her way to Rotterdam, where she visited the Bouwkeet community group, which encourages people in low-income neighbourhoods to train in creative design and technology, paying their way by sharing their skills with their neighbours.
Kate chats with students in a woollen class at the Bouwkeet workshop project for teenagers. Photo: Getty
Nellie van Ginkel, a nurse from Barneveld who presented Kate with a bunch of flowers, told the Day, “I told her I was in London for her wedding day and that I loved seeing her in person. She was very nice.”
Annelise Huissen, a student from Putten, also gave Kate some roses. She says, “Kate asked if I was cold because I’d been waiting so long. She was lovely. I loved the colour of her dress. I should’ve been studying today, but it’s worth it to see her. I didn’t expect she’d have contact with the public.”
See more of Kate’s trip to the Netherlands in the gallery below
