Dutch king Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima, will embark on a state visit to London later this month, palace officials announced on Monday, as the monarch admitted that he regretted Britain’s decision to leave the EU. 

A spokesman for Noordeinde Palace in The Hague said the visit, which will take place on October 23 and 24, would cement links between the two countries as "North Sea neighbours" with "shared values in the past, present and future."

But Brexit will also be high on the agenda, with the king and his wife, Queen Maxima, due to meet Dutch citizens who are concerned about their business prospects in the UK.

"They will talk with Dutch entrepreneurs, academics and creatives,…