Royal visit

7 September 2025

Royal Visit

On Saturday, September 6th, we had the great honor of welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands on board the ‘Oosterschelde’ during the World Port Days in Rotterdam.

The Princess was given a tour of the ship and spoke with our crew and the Dutch Darwin Leaders – young and talented scientists – about their experiences and research during the Darwin200 Global Voyage. Princess Margriet also met with students who took part in the World Harbor Days Hackathon – where they worked on pressing challenges facing the port of Rotterdam and maritime industry. Upon her departure, the Princess symbolically released the final mooring line, after which the ‘Oosterschelde’ set sail with the Hackathon participants on board.

This was not the first time that H.R.H. Princess Margriet visited the ‘Oosterschelde’. In 1992, together with her husband, she officially relaunched the ship after its extensive restoration. To this day, the ‘Oosterschelde’ remains the largest sailing vessel ever restored in the Netherlands. The Pricess also visited in 2013, at the start of our second circumnavigation.