Royal Upgrade: Trump Will Stay At The Dutch King's Palace During His NATO Visit
US President Donald Trump has a sleepover this week in the Netherlands that is quite literally fit for a king. Trump is visiting The Hague for a summit of the 32 leaders of NATO on Wednesday, and his sleeping arrangements have received a significant upgrade.
He is scheduled to arrive Tuesday night and be whisked by motorcade along closed-off highways to the Huis Ten Bosch palace nestled in a forest on the edge of The Hague for a dinner with other alliance leaders hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander. Trump had been expected to stay at a swanky hotel in the town of Noordwijk on the Dutch North Sea coast–but not anymore.
A spokesperson for the Dutch government information service, Anna Sophia Posthumus, told The Associated Press that the president will be sleeping at the palace that is home to Willem-Alexander, his Argentinian-born wife, Queen Maxima, and their three daughters–though the princesses have mostly flown the royal nest to pursue studies. Parts of Huis Ten Bosch palace date back to the 17th century. It has a Wassenaar Wing where the royal family live and a Hague Wing that is used by guests. The centerpiece of the palace is the ornate Orange Hall, named for the Dutch Royal House of Orange. The palace is also close to the new US Embassy in the Netherlands.
Trump is no stranger to royal visits. In 2019, he dropped in to Windsor Castle for tea with Queen Elizabeth II during a tumultuous visit to the UK.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Trump rattles NATO allies as he descends on summit
THE HAGUE: US President Donald Trump swept into NATO's Hague summit Tuesday, with allies hoping a pledge to ramp up defense spending will keep the mercurial leader of the military superpower committed to protecting them. Trump joined leaders from NATO's 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in the ornate Orange Hall at his royal residence. The alliance hopes to keep Trump bound to its mutual defense vow by meeting his demand for a headline figure of five percent of GDP on defense spending. But Trump refused to say he was committed to NATO's Article Five clause and protecting Europe in comments that will likely rattle his counterparts on the continent. 'Depends on your definition. There's numerous definitions of Article Five,' Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One. 'I'm committed to being their friend.' To keep Trump on board, NATO members have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 percent to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 percent to broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure. NATO says the military build-up is crucial to deter Russia, which officials warn is rapidly rebuilding its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine and could be ready to attack the alliance in five years. But it is just as important for keeping Trump engaged as Washington warns it may shift forces from Europe to face the threat from China. 'They're going to be lifting it to five percent, that's good,' Trump said. 'It gives them much more power.' But while the promise of more spending could win Trump over, deep divisions remain over the approach to Europe's key security issue: Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump said he would probably meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky while in The Hague, with Kyiv hoping it can avoid a repeat of the pair's infamous Oval Office bust-up. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told an audience in The Hague that NATO's 'historic' spending pledge showed that 'the Europe of defense has finally awakened.' Alliance leaders meanwhile — many of whom are struggling to find the money that will be required — lined up to argue that the threats facing the continent required bold steps. 'We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in announcing the UK's commitment to meet the target. Starmer on Wednesday will formally announce that his country is buying a dozen F-35A fighters, capable of carrying atomic weapons to support NATO's nuclear mission. The purchase marks an expansion of Britain's nuclear deterrence, which is currently limited to submarine-launched missiles. A statement late Tuesday from Starmer's office quoted Rutte as saying: 'I strongly welcome today's announcement,' calling it 'yet another robust British contribution to NATO.' Separately, powerhouse Germany announced plans to hit the 3.5-percent figure for core defense needs by 2029 — six years before the timeline. At the other end of the scale, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has risked Trump's ire by insisting his country doesn't have to meet the five percent target. For its part, the Kremlin attacked NATO for its 'rampant militarization,' with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: 'This is the reality that surrounds us.' Since storming back to power, Trump has upended the West's approach to the three-year conflict by turning his back on Kyiv and opening the door to closer ties with Moscow. Zelensky was set to play less of a central role than at recent NATO gatherings and will not attend the main working session. But Ukraine's president said he would discuss with Trump buying a package of weapons made up mainly of air defenses. Zelensky would also push Trump on imposing new sanctions on Russia as Moscow has stalled peace efforts being pressed by Washington, Kyiv said. 'There are no signs that Putin wants to stop this war. Russia rejects all peace proposals including those from the US. Putin only thinks about war,' the Ukrainian leader told a defense forum held alongside the summit. Trump did briefly meet on the sidelines of the summit late Tuesday with Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who urged 'close dialogue' to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Rutte said allies would send the message that support for Kyiv was 'unwavering and will persist.' But despite his insistence that Ukraine's bid for membership remains 'irreversible,' NATO will avoid any mention of Kyiv's push to join after Trump ruled it out.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Meeting Trump, Turkiye's Erdogan hails Iran-Israel truce
THE HAGUE: Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit late Tuesday, hailing the Iran-Israel ceasefire and urging 'close dialogue' to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Turkish president 'expressed his satisfaction with the ceasefire achieved between Israel and Iran through President Trump's efforts, hoping it would be permanent, and emphasized the importance of close dialogue... in peacefully resolving the Russia-Ukraine war,' a statement from his office said.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Major UK supermarket chain to stop sourcing Israeli products
LONDON: One of Britain's largest supermarket chains will stop sourcing Israeli products following a sustained Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. The Co-operative supermarket said the decision was made due to Israeli human rights abuses and violations of international law. It comes into effect this month. In May, a motion at the Co-op annual general meeting calling for an end to trade with Israel received overwhelming support. The supermarket board's decision covers 17 'countries of concern,' including Israel. Co-op will now launch a phased approach to begin removing products sourced from the 17 countries. The BDS campaign, led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw the Co-op board commit to a 'sourcing policy aligned with established co-operative values, upholding human rights and the rule of law to promote fair trading and peace.' The supermarket will now avoid sourcing products from countries where 'there is consistent behavior which would constitute community-wide human rights abuses or violations of international law.' Through the new policy, Co-op believes it 'can make a difference directly or indirectly to those affected and would alleviate suffering.' Israel is a major exporter of fruit and vegetables to the UK, and its products are widely stocked at British supermarkets, including as ingredients in larger items. A number of Israeli farms operate facilities in the occupied West Bank, in settlements that are illegal under international law. PSC hailed Co-op's decision as a 'major victory.' It follows the 'Don't Buy Apartheid' campaign that the organization conducted this year, urging a widespread boycott of Israeli products in British shops, restaurants and venues. Ben Jamal, PSC director, said: 'This is a seismic victory for the Palestinian solidarity movement in this country, which demands that the government, institutions and corporations end all economic, political and military support for the state of Israel, which is conducting a live streamed genocide in Gaza after decades of military occupation and imposing a system of apartheid on Palestinians. 'The Co-op, as befits its history, has shown great moral courage and ethical principle in deciding that it cannot ignore voices from the British public calling out Israel's gross human rights abuses and violations of international law — and even more importantly, it cannot economically support that regime through doing business in Israel. 'This beacon of leadership must now be taken up by all other supermarket chains which continue to sell Israeli goods, despite knowing they are supporting its war crimes.'
