Watch CBS News

Netherlands King, Queen Visiting Michigan As Part Of Tour

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - The king of the Netherlands and his wife are visiting Grand Rapids during a multi-day trip to the U.S.

The Dutch Embassy says King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima arrive in Grand Rapids on Tuesday morning and attend events at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and the Van Andel Research Institute.

Plans call for a luncheon with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and visits with local leaders. The king and queen leave Tuesday afternoon for Chicago.

The visit is expected to celebrate the bonds between the Netherlands and Michigan. Communities such as Holland, Michigan, are known for their Dutch heritage. And officials say Michigan has 481,000 people of Dutch ancestry, out or 4.5 million nationwide.

It's Willem-Alexander's first official U.S. visit since becoming king in 2013.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.