Dutch State Visit to Canada and Official Visit to the USA: May 27-29 & June 1-3, 2015


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Squidgy said:
I don't know which is the best place to see them. But I think the "funnest" place to see them would be Toronto Island. I love going there - a wonderful place to be on a hot summer's day. And it will be a Friday engagement, so hopefully the Island won't be as crowded as it would be if it were the weekend.

Regardless of the location, I hope you both get a chance to see the couple, Rmay 286 and Marlene. And please report back to us if you do!:)
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I heard from the embassy that the best place to see them is Queen's Park in an hour- Toronto Islands is not public! Off I go :flowers:
 
Oh, sorry RMay286! I wasn't trying to lead you astray! Good thing you checked with the Embassy. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get to see them up close!:)
 
Squidgy said:
Thanks EmmaNL for the explanation. That makes sense. Since flight first began, Newfoundland has often been used as a stopover for those flying from Europe to N. America.

I managed to sneak out of work for a short while to see the W-A and M at the National War Memorial.

I arrived there about 20 mins. before the service was set to begin. Happily for the couple (but not so nice for me) there were already quite a few royal watchers lined up, hoping to get a good view. So I was about 4 rows back. I didn't really get any good pictures. I was far away and they moved fairly quickly. Added to that Maxima had a large hat and she was often looking downward. It was a memorial ceremony so it is understandable that they didn't interact with the crowd much. As they were leaving the memorial site, someone shouted out "Maxima" and she turned around and gave one of her lovely huge smiles. So that was nice.

After the ceremony, my friends and I chanced upon the couple walking down the street. For us, that was the coolest part of the event. We had figured that they had just gotten back into their official car. But instead they walked on to the National Arts Centre just across the way. It was fun, as a fairly small group of us just joined in and walked with them. We were fairly close, but even though security wasn't too tight, people seemed to keep a respectful distance.

As I said, I didn't really get any good photos, but for anyone interested, here are some of my photos.
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I'm a bit late, but thank you for sharing your photos with us, Squidgy. :flowers: Despite being four rows back, it looks as if you still managed to get a good view of WA and Maxima.

I like your anecdote about Maxima turning around and smiling upon her name being called out.
 
Squidgy said:
Oh, sorry RMay286! I wasn't trying to lead you astray! Good thing you checked with the Embassy. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get to see them up close!:)
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No problem - I did get to see them up close at Queen's Park! There weren't that many people there, so I soon realized that if I went to the end of the line, I would be at the front row of people...and could shake Willem-Alexander's hand. So yes, I did get to shake the king's hand. :) Queen Maxima looked beautiful in a beige dress. In the photos below, they are talking to a woman in a wheelchair. She told the King that her Opa worked with his Opa (Prince Bernhard?) to build some work of architecture. Sorry, I'm not up on Dutch royal history, so not sure if that would match up with known information.

Afterwards, I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to see them (met a fellow royalist!) and did end up seeing them again, but unfortunately, my phone had died at that point. Someone else let me borrow his phone and promised to email me the photos...I hope I get them.

Very happy I emailed the embassy to find out where and when to spot them! They actually were in my small southern Ontario town yesterday as well, and my mom said she tried to see them, but only saw tinted windows.
 

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rmay286 said:
No problem - I did get to see them up close at Queen's Park! There weren't that many people there, so I soon realized that if I went to the end of the line, I would be at the front row of people...and could shake Willem-Alexander's hand. So yes, I did get to shake the king's hand. :) Queen Maxima looked beautiful in a beige dress. In the photos below, they are talking to a woman in a wheelchair. She told the King that her Opa worked with his Opa (Prince Bernhard?) to build some work of architecture. Sorry, I'm not up on Dutch royal history, so not sure if that would match up with known information.

Afterwards, I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to see them (met a fellow royalist!) and did end up seeing them again, but unfortunately, my phone had died at that point. Someone else let me borrow his phone and promised to email me the photos...I hope I get them.

Very happy I emailed the embassy to find out where and when to spot them! They actually were in my small southern Ontario town yesterday as well, and my mom said she tried to see them, but only saw tinted windows.
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When I saw that footage from Queen's Park during the Supper Hour News, I had hoped that one of the two of you or both had found about that and YAY!!! :D :D. So happy you got to meet the King and a good look of the both of them.

I just wish I could see both yours and Squidgey's photos though. All I get is a picture icon w/a jagged slash through it. Frustrating!!

Did anyone else see the story from yesterday at U of Waterloo and the Liberation Scholarship program being established? These Scholarships will be awarded to U of Waterloo students who will be attending the Dutch University that U of Waterloo's partnered w/for Exchange Studies. One of the first yesterday was awarded to the Granddaughter of a Veteran of the Dutch Campaign and he was saying how to him, it truly was a Full Circle moment and how excited he is for her to be able to, and I quote...

"Of course I'm proud of her, but I'm just so excited for her to have this chance to go over and get to know Holland and its lovely wonderful people."

:)

I also heard that one of the Veterans Maxima met in Ottawa, she asked him if she could give him a kiss on the cheek and when the reporter asked him what happened he told her, "I'm a man in my early 90's, so when a pretty young lady asks if she can kiss me on the cheek, do you really think I'm saying No!?!"

:D

My Sister asked if I'd seen or heard about that, as they'd seen it somewhere the other day, so no idea where she saw it.

I think it's been a very successful State Visit by Their Majesties. Here's hoping it won't long for them to come back again!! :)


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
 
HereditaryPrincess said:
I'm a bit late, but thank you for sharing your photos with us, Squidgy. :flowers: Despite being four rows back, it looks as if you still managed to get a good view of WA and Maxima.

I like your anecdote about Maxima turning around and smiling upon her name being called out.
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You're welcome, HereditaryPrincess. I was happy to share!:)

I thought the couple looked pretty chic today. And it was nice to see that quite a few people came out to see them.

Here are a few more articles on today's and yesterday's engagements. The Tulpi chairs look fun!

Dutch royals gift seven 'Tulpi-chairs' to Toronto | CTV Toronto News

https://storify.com/uWaterloo/dutch-royal-family-visit-uwaterloo?utm_source=embed_header

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima award 70 scholarships to Canadian students

Dutch royals drop in on greenhouse | St. Catharines Standard
 
rmay286 said:
No problem - I did get to see them up close at Queen's Park! There weren't that many people there, so I soon realized that if I went to the end of the line, I would be at the front row of people...and could shake Willem-Alexander's hand. So yes, I did get to shake the king's hand. :) Queen Maxima looked beautiful in a beige dress. In the photos below, they are talking to a woman in a wheelchair. She told the King that her Opa worked with his Opa (Prince Bernhard?) to build some work of architecture. Sorry, I'm not up on Dutch royal history, so not sure if that would match up with known information.

Afterwards, I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to see them (met a fellow royalist!) and did end up seeing them again, but unfortunately, my phone had died at that point. Someone else let me borrow his phone and promised to email me the photos...I hope I get them.

Very happy I emailed the embassy to find out where and when to spot them! They actually were in my small southern Ontario town yesterday as well, and my mom said she tried to see them, but only saw tinted windows.
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Rmay286, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful pictures with us! :flowers:I'm so glad you got to see them up close and personal. That's cool that you got to shake W-A's hand. (Have you washed your hand yet? LOL!)
 
Squidgy said:
Rmay286, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful pictures with us! :flowers:I'm so glad you got to see them up close and personal. That's cool that you got to shake W-A's hand. (Have you washed your hand yet? LOL!)
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Lol...that was the first thing a friend of mine said when I said I shook the king's hand. Well, I have washed that hand after getting home...however, I definitely won't forget the experience!

Tiggersk8, I'm sorry you can't see the photos. They aren't such good quality though (they were taken my on my phone), but I was pretty close up. If you want, I can PM you the link to my Facebook. I've posted the photos there and I just made the album public, if anyone wants to see it.
 
Thanks for sharing your story and pics, Rmay286!!! So jealous - Would have loved to see them myself!!
 
what a great trip. these two are the image of happiness!
 
These are more photos from yesterday, from the Art Gallery of Ontario. There was a reception there to recognize successful Dutch businesspeople, from what I heard. Unfortunately, my phone died...but someone there let me borrow his phone. It took better photos than mine!

Someone in the crowd behind us cried out, "Ola, Maxima!" and I think he said he was from Argentina. That's when she turned and smiled at him and said, Ola, or Hi! You can see the photo of her beaming smile:

I don't know why the images upload sideways...sorry. :sad: Does anyone know how to fix?
 

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Great pictures. What an enormous load of clothes, hats, gloves, purses, shoes there must have been in the luggage compartiment of the royal plane....
 
This tour has been receiving ALOT of coverage.The Dutch Royal Family has strong ties to Canada.The DRF spent the wars years in Canada and the Dutch never forgot the Canadians liberating the Netherlands during WWII
 
rmay286 said:
These are more photos from yesterday, from the Art Gallery of Ontario. There was a reception there to recognize successful Dutch businesspeople, from what I heard. Unfortunately, my phone died...but someone there let me borrow his phone. It took better photos than mine!

Someone in the crowd behind us cried out, "Ola, Maxima!" and I think he said he was from Argentina. That's when she turned and smiled at him and said, Ola, or Hi! You can see the photo of her beaming smile:

I don't know why the images upload sideways...sorry. :sad: Does anyone know how to fix?
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Images have been fixed :) You had upload them and they where tilted.

These pictures are great! Thank you for sharing. It must of been an experience for The Royal couple to walk so close.

A few pictures from yesterday evening from ANP
http://imageupper.com/i/?S0300010050011Y14330012561654255
http://imageupper.com/i/?S0300010050021Y14330012561654255
http://imageupper.com/i/?S0300010050031Y14330012561654255
 
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You're welcome Squidgy, and thanks for your photos rmay286. It's nice to see that this visit has received lots of coverage, and from the photos it looks as if there have been large crowds awaiting WA and Maxima on each visit they have carried out so far. How well known are they to the average person in Canada?
 
Thanks for fixing my photos, dazzling. I didn't realize they were saved at that angle.

HereditaryPrincess said:
You're welcome Squidgy, and thanks for your photos rmay286. It's nice to see that this visit has received lots of coverage, and from the photos it looks as if there have been large crowds awaiting WA and Maxima on each visit they have carried out so far. How well known are they to the average person in Canada?
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The crowds weren't very large considering it was Friday in Toronto (a big city). I saw William and Kate in Ottawa when they went to the Governor General's residence, and there were hundreds, maybe thousands of people there. (I just looked it up - apparently there were 6,000 people!)

There were only maybe a couple hundred people at Queen's Park, mostly people of Dutch descent. I don't think Willem-Alexander and Maxima are known at all to most people in Canada. People of Dutch descent probably know there is a royal family, but even then, a lot of people don't know much about them.

However, the people who were there were very excited! I met a young man who was standing there - he hadn't known what was going on, but ended up staying until they showed up; he got enthusiastic along with everyone else. :)
 
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima arrived at the Dutch Ambassador's residence where there will be a dinner.

ANP Foto
 
I didn't see this video link posted: King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima visit Queen’s Park - News1130
It's a nice little clip from their visit to Queen's Park in Toronto.

A nice picture gallery: http://www.parismatch.com/Royal-Blo...xima-teste-ses-tulpi-chairs-a-Toronto-773340#

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of pictures and overall coverage this visit received. The crowds weren't bad either considering they're non-British royals. Both the king and queen looked happy and excited throughout this trip.
 
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I agree, It made the news where I live everyday much more so than when Sophie or Edward visit
 
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