Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands accompanied by her suite paid a state visit to Slovakia from May 21 to 23, 2007.
The enthusiastic welcome for Her Majesty was highlighted by the fact that this was one of the most important state visits to our country.
We consider it a great honour that Her Majesty spent five hours in the Danubiana despite a busy schedule. The trip by boat down the River Danube to our peninsula was the first visit ever to disembark on a newly-anchored pontoon, fitted by the Dunaj co. After disembarking and a warm welcome by the museum representatives, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands signed the book of distinguished guests and received two gifts.
After a festive dinner in the company of financial representatives she went for a walk in the park and showed a deep interest in all the sculptures exhibited in this unusual place. As a great admirer of the visual arts, Her Majesty expressed her admiration for the sculptures and the artists of international renown. At the end, Her Majesty met Dutch entrepreneurs and citizens working in Slovakia. In a pleasant atmosphere and lovely weather Her Majesty left for Bratislava after 5.00 pm.
In the evening she went to a concert by a Dutch piano virtuoso Wibi Soernaji held in the opera house. After the concert Her Majesty accompanied by Ivan Ga š parovič, the President of the Slovak Republic met the founder of the Danubiana Gerard H. Meulensteen and his wife.
The visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to our museum is one of the greatest events in the 7-year history of the museum.
