Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul greeted their Majesties, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Albany.

B-ROLL of the Governor greeting their Majesties is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor’s Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, everyone. What an extraordinary day for all of us here in New York State. We warmly welcome their Majesties, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. Let's give them a round of applause. We're so happy they're here.

The history between this great country and the State of New York goes back so very long. It was in 1609 when Henry Hudson found his way to this great city, creating Albany, which is now our capital. As Henry Hudson traveled up the mighty river, he journeyed across the Haudenosaunee and the Algonquin homelands and interacted with the indigenous peoples, and they finally made their way here.

15 years later, in 1624, at the Southern tip of Manhattan, New Amsterdam was formally established. Little did those Dutch settlers know that they were founding what would become one of the greatest cities on earth, New York City. We're a little biased here. Four centuries is a long time, but our rich tradition and history with the Dutch people has had a palpable influence all across our city.

New York City names and landmarks are of Dutch origin – Brooklyn, Harlem, Wall Street, Bowery, Coney Island. The family homes in Rockaway, Lindenwood and Albany still draw from the old Dutch style with their sloping, gambrel roofs and dormer windows. And Albany's annual Tulip Festival began with a generous gift of 2,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands from Queen Wilhelmina in honor of our enduring connection. Our iconic princess suite right upstairs in the Executive Mansion is named for Princess later Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. So, we think of your family and the influence for many, many years, right in this very building. She stayed in the suite during her visit to Albany back in 1959.

Now, like many of the colonies across the American continent, New Netherland was found upon the values of tolerance, diversity and open trade. And 400 years later, those same ideals have continued to shape our state. Today, we'll use this opportunity to discuss how we stay true to those core values in our dynamic and globalized world.

This historic visit provides an extraordinary opportunity for us to confer with our Dutch partners on our shared economic future. New York and the Netherlands are both global leaders in semiconductor research and development. These microchips are the key to powering today's world. Those who lead the semiconductor renaissance are truly the ones who are shaping our global future. That's why in 2022, New York launched our $10 billion Green CHIPS initiative. It quickly led to the largest economic deal in American history, Micron's $100 billion megafab development right here in Upstate New York.

But in order to maximize the impact of what we'll be able to achieve here in New York, we have to look beyond our borders. The Netherlands is home to some of the most sophisticated companies in the semiconductor business, while New York is growing a semiconductor superpower with institutions like New York CREATES, which we'll be visiting this afternoon.

Today, we'll be examining how New York State and the Netherlands will bring historic relationship into the 21st century. Yes, one that started back in the 1600s. And how further collaboration between our world class semiconductor industries will drive innovation and tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.

So, it is so clear to all of us gathered here today on this special, special occasion, that New York and the Netherlands are linked forever. Their shared history binds us together as partners for today and the future. Like the ship that brought its crew way back in the 1600s, we're charting new waters. Like those first Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam, we're building a legacy that goes far beyond ourselves. One built on inclusiveness and progressivity. And there's no better place to be having these conversations than at the nexus of our shared history here in New York.

So, without further ado, I'd like to warmly welcome and introduce His Majesty, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to say a few words about his visit. Thank you.