(L-R) Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium;
Credit: MAE
On Tuesday 15 September 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel had attended Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) in The Hague at the invitation of Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen.
According to the ministry, his Belgian counterpart, Maxime Prévot, was also present. For the very first time, foreign ministers, in this case from the Benelux countries, were invited to participate in this major institutional event in the Netherlands.
Prinsjesdag is one of the major moments in Dutch political life. Every third Tuesday in September, King Willem-Alexander delivers the Speech from the Throne before both chambers of Parliament assembled together and officially opens the new parliamentary year. The government also presents its priorities and budget for the coming year. This was the first speech delivered under the government of Rob Jetten, Prime Minister of the Netherlands since February 2026.
Beyond the symbolism, this invitation reflects the close ties that unite the three Benelux countries.
Following the speech delivered by King Willem-Alexander, Minister Bettel stated: “I would like to thank my counterpart Tom Berendsen for the invitation to Prinsjesdag. This participation carries strong symbolism. In a world marked by an intensification of power struggles, it is essential to strengthen our closest partnerships. I look forward to putting this into practice at the political, economic and human levels with the Netherlands and Belgium.”
The ministry added that Minister Bettel’s trip would continue in Norway and Iceland, where he would travel with his counterparts Tom Berendsen and Maxime Prévot.
