King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have begun their State Visit to Cyprus.

The royal couple fly to Cyprus the evening before, with Willem-Alexander co-piloting the flight as he often does as a commercial pilot. 

The Dutch king and queen were officially welcomed on March 4 to the Presidential Palace by President Nikos Christodoulides, as well as his wife Philippa Karsera. After the formal ceremony, King Willem-Alexander and the President jointly inspected the guard of honour. 

Their Majesties then visited a statue of the first Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios III, where they laid a wreath. As is also customary, the couple visited the House of Representatives. 

In the evening, President Christodoulides will host a State Banquet for the royal visitors at the Presidential Palace. 

Day two will be another busy day as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will speak with Dutch alumni of Cypriot universities, visit an archaeological site, and then host their own concert and reception to thank everyone for the hospitality shown.

As always, Queen Maxima chose a bold look for the first day of the State Visit. She chose a draped velvet midi-dress in a striking sapphire blue from Greek brand Costarellos. She accessorised with a coordinated sapphire blue teardrop-shaped cocktail hat.