King Willem-Alexander and queen Máxima arrived in Atlanta in the US on Sunday evening for a four-day visit, with the king acting as copilot on at least part of the flight.

The king has a pilot’s licence and regularly acts as a guest pilot on flights for KLM Cityhopper to keep up his flying hours.

The four-day visit, which takes in Atlanta, Savannah, Albany, and New York begins officially on Monday morning local time.

The couple will visit the famous Patchwerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, where Outkast and Beyoncé have worked, the grave of Martin Luther King, an exhibition of Dutch artists and the New York neighbourhood of East Flatbush, according to the official itinerary.  

The royal visit is part of a formal trade mission to Georgia and New York, which includes infrastructure affairs minister Mark Harbers and trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher.

“The United States is the main non-European partner for the Netherlands in the field of economic ties and security and close relationships are essential for maintaining Dutch prosperity,” the foreign affairs ministry said.