The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix will pay a state visit to India at the end of October, local newspaper 'Algemeen Dagblad' reported last friday.

Beatrix with her 7 grandchildren.....( now there are 8 ones).........

 It will be the queen's second state visit to India. The previous one was in 1986. She will be accompanied by Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Máxima, and a heavyweight business delegation.

Queen Beatrix, her son crownprince Willem-Alexander, his wife Máxima and their 3 little daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Alexia and the baby Ariane, who will be christened at the 20th of October, just before the visit to India.

After India, the crown prince and princess will pay a working visit to Bhutan.

Previous state visits have rarely been accompanied by a big business delegation. However, the queen recently decided that a trade delegation will always accompany state visits to countries that are economically important to the Netherlands.

Willem Alexander said recently in a television interview that he will put more emphasis on trade delegations when he becomes king. The crown prince, with the queen and princess, attended a round-table conference on economic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey during the recent state visit to Turkey.

With an average economic growth of between 7 and 8 percent and a large potential market, India is one of the focus countries with which the Dutch government seeks to strengthen ties. India ranks only the 14th among the Netherlands' trading partners and the Dutch see enormous potential in economic cooperation.

Many Dutch companies have invested in India, particularly those which are active in knowledge-based industries and the services sector. The Netherlands is the fourth largest foreign investor in India.