San Francisco’s Castro District welcomed another queen to the neighborhood Tuesday as Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands toured around the city.
Alongside Mayor London Breed, the queen stopped by the GLBT Historical Society Museum, the Castro Theatre and Twin Peaks Tavern to discuss with community leaders on the city’s extensive history of LGBTQ+ activism.
Queen Maxima thanked Breed for the opportunity to learn about what more needs to be done to protect the well-being of queer people.
“The Netherlands and San Francisco share so many things in common, and this support to the LGBTQ+ community is something we feel so strongly about,” she said in a speech outside Twin Peaks Tavern in the Castro.
Breed said she is happy to continue the city’s partnership with the Netherlands, the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
“We like to talk about San Francisco and how we’re the mecca, but we have a sister in the Netherlands in how they promote and push for things to support this extraordinary community,” Breed said in a speech.
Other stops on her tour around the city included a cable car ride, a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge and a seminar on the challenges of urbanization with representatives from San Francisco, Los Angeles and the Dutch cities of Rotterdam and Utrecht.
As a symbol of transatlantic cooperation and economic ties, the queen is also planned to meet this week with state leaders, leading businesses and activists in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. She was scheduled to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom to talk about global solutions for international issues like climate change, health care and agriculture.
“The Netherlands and California have been working together for many years in areas such as technology, climate change, and innovation. And cities in the Netherlands and California are at the forefront of the transition to create healthier urban living,” said Dutch Ambassador Andre Haspels in a statement.