HM King Philippe assumed the throne on 21 July 2013, and the visit is thus The King and The Queen’s first state visit to Denmark.  The King and The Queen will be accompanied by seven ministers as well as a business delegation including 37 Belgian companies.  

The upcoming state visit has the objective of strengthening the already strong bonds between Denmark and Belgium. The close ties between the two royal families, which descend from the House of Glücksborg, can be dated back to 1863. Thus, the Belgian royal couple participated in the celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 75^th birthday in 2015, and HM Queen Mathilde is also the godmother of HRH Princess Isabella. 

The programme during the state visit has the objective of further strengthening the connection and the common interests between the two countries and will focus, among other things, on business and culture. The official delegation and the 37 companies will focus on the themes of sustainable development, renewable energy, health, transport logistics and smart city solutions. During the stay, HM King Philippe will visit Copenhagen City Hall, the Confederation of Danish Industry, and, together with HM Queen Mathilde, the Cinematheque in Copenhagen.

Belgium, which was formed as an independent nation in 1831, is a federal state which, in addition to the federal level, includes three regions (Flemish, Walloon and Brussels-Capital) and three language communities (Dutch, French and German). Belgium is an important partner for Denmark. In 2015, Belgium made up the 14th-largest export market for Denmark, and it presents considerable potential for Danish companies in the areas of climate and energy, health and logistics as well as IT and digitalization.