King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Máxima will begin a state visit to Ireland between on 12 June at the invitation of President Michael D. Higgins.

The three-day visit will be based in Dublin and Cork.

In a conversation with Irish media representatives in the Hague on Monday evening, the King spoke of the importance of agriculture in both countries.

ADVERTISEMENT

He referenced the Irish famine and how agriculture was the basis of the Dutch economy when they split with Belgium in 1831 as industry at that time was in the Belgian half of the then joint kingdom.

While recognising that both the Irish and Dutch economies are now widely developed, he was particularly pleased that the Netherlands was the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural produce after the US.

Prior to moving to the Royal Palace the King lived in a rural area and recognised the important role both Dutch and Irish farming has in feeding the world's population. He has a particular interest in water and sanitation having served on the United Nations advisory board on water and sanitation prior to becoming King in 2013. He has a particular concern that the world doesn’t have enough fresh water to support a population of 10bn people.

The Dutch royal visit follows the Swedish Royal visit last week and will involve a series of engagements in Dublin and Cork.