Dutch royals arrive in Germany for 3-day state visit

BERLIN (AP) — King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have started a three-day visit to Germany that was delayed from last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The royal couple were greeted with a 21-gun salute after landing at Berlin’s airport on Monday at the beginning of Willem-Alexander’s first state visit to Germany since he became king in 2013. In persistent rain, they were received by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at his Bellevue palace. They are also expected to visit Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. A meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel also is on the agenda during this week’s visit.