Belgian National Day – 21st July 2011

Belgium’s National Day is set on the 21st July, as that is when Leopold I of Belgium took the oath making him the first King of the Belgians in 1831. After Belgium asserted its independence from the Netherlands on 4 October 1830, the Belgian National Congress considered several candidates and eventually asked Leopold to become King of the newly-formed country. He was elected on 4 June and accepted and became “King of the Belgians” on 26 June 1831. He swore allegiance to the constitution in front of the Saint Jacob’s Church at Coudenbergh Place in Brussels on 21 July 1831.

On July 20^th King Albert, Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz attended the concert “Prelude to National Day” hosted by the International Queen Elisabeth Contest and the Belgian National Orchestra at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

On July 21^st, a Te Deum was attended in the morning by King Albert, Queen Paola and Queen Fabiola at the Cathedral Saints-Michel-et-Gudule in Brussels, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde at the Sint-Pieterskerk in Leuven and Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in Wavre.

In the afternoon the whole family attended the traditional military parade at the Palace Square. Each member of the royal family represents one part of the militia. HM The King is General of the 3 stars, The Duke of Brabant ‘l’aviation’, Princess Astrid represents the medical component of the BAF and Prince Laurent would normally represent the marine.

Unfortunately Prince Laurent, Princess Claire on their family were not present at the National Day this year, as Laurent has been ‘banned’ due to his questionable activities as a member of the royal family. However they were seen at a street party in Brussels on the night of the 20^th.

Later on Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz visited different stands of the “Day in the Park” at the Place Royale, the Museum Square, the Mont des Arts and the rue de la Regence. In the evening Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde attended the fireworks display on the Place des Palais.

Filed under Austria-Hungary, Belgium
Tagged Albert II of Belgium, House of Austria-Este, King Philippe of the Belgians, Leopold I of Belgium, Mass, Military, National Day, Prince Laurent of Belgium, Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Claire of Belgium, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Queen Paola of Belgium.

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