King and Queen pose for picture with Trump

The Royal House of the Netherlands on Wednesday shared a picture of the monarch and his wife with Donald Trump as the president of the United States arrived at a reception on the sidelines of a summit in the Hague.

"The King and Queen Máxima receive the American President Trump in audience at Palace Huis ten Bosch. The reception is and margin from the NATO summit," said a brief statement which accompanied the photo.

The photo coincided with the Buckingham Palace statement that King Charles will host Trump for a state visit later this year.

Trump accepted an invitation from Charles for a second state visit in February, making the U.S. president the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.

Britain had not set a date for the occasion however, an event that will celebrate the close ties between the two countries and be marked by pomp and pageantry.

"His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year," a Palace aide said.

British state visits usually include a carriage ride through central London and a lavish state banquet.

Last week, the ‘Manu Regia’, an official invite which signals the start of formal planning, was hand-delivered to the White House by British representatives, with confirmation of the exact date for the trip to follow.

Meanwhile, Trump arrived in the Netherlands late on Tuesday for NATO's annual summit.

At the summit, NATO member states were set to announce their joint intention to raise defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product.