President of Poland to pay official visit to the Netherlands

President Andrzej Duda of the Republic of Poland will pay an official visit to the Netherlands on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October. He will be accompanied by his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda. On the first day of his visit the President will attend celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Breda together with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. The next day he will meet with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. 

On the morning of Tuesday 29 October the King will receive President Duda at Noordeinde Palace. After the inspection of the guard of honour there will be an audience and a lunch, at which Her Majesty Queen Máxima will also be present. The King and the President will each give a speech during the lunch. They will then travel together to Breda to attend the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the city’s liberation. 

On 29 October 1944 Breda was liberated by the 1st Polish Armoured Division under the command of General Stanisław Maczek. The following day, as a token of gratitude, mayor Bartholomaeus van Slobbe awarded General Maczek and his entire division the freedom of the city of Breda. Monuments at various locations in the city commemorate its liberation by Polish forces. Throughout the month of October, Breda will be marking the bond with its liberators.

The visit will begin at the Polish War Cemetery, the final resting place of 160 Polish soldiers who lost their lives in the liberation of Breda. General Maczek, who passed away in 1994, is also buried here. The King and President Duda will each lay a wreath at the cemetery. This will be followed by a visit to De Rooi Pannen school to hear students from various schools give their views on peace and freedom, and talk about how they themselves can contribute. Finally, King Willem-Alexander and President Duda will watch the freedom parade of veterans and historical vehicles from Grote Markt square.

In 2019 and 2020 the Netherlands is marking the 75th anniversary of its liberation, with members of the Royal House attending various celebratory and commemorative events.