 In year 1603, on 2 June, the Dutch Admiral Joris van Spilbergen arrived in Ceylon with three ships from the Dutch port of Veere after a 12-month voyage.Visiting Kandy, the seat of King Vimaladharmasuriya I, Spilbergen and the King developed cordial relations.The King's admiration for his new-found friend was so deep that he began to learn the Dutch language saying ‘Kandy is now Flanders’.