Bonaire is the first island that the royal party visits. From there they travel to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. They do that ‘island hopping’ by plane. Except from Aruba to Curaçao: then the royal couple and the princess will sail with Zr.Ms. Holland, a patrol vessel of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Furthermore, the trip, which lasts from January 27 to February 9, is mainly devoted to the slavery past, the inhabitants, the culture and nature conservation. For example, the group visits Landhuis Knip, the former plantation where the slave revolt began in 1795, and a former sugar plantation. On Sint Maarten, attention is being paid to the reconstruction of the island after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
King Willem-Alexander made a similar journey in 1987 at the age of 19, when he was still a prince. He did this together with his parents, then Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. A few years later, in 1992, Beatrix and Claus made the same two-week trip, but then also with younger sons Friso and Constantijn.
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