Belgian King and Queen Begin State Visit to Canada

At the invitation of Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians started today, Monday March 12, a week-long state visit to Canada.

The Royal Couple was officially welcomed by Governor-General Payette during a welcoming ceremony held in the courtyard of Rideau Hall, the Government House, in Ottawa, where they arrived in an open horse-drawn carriage accompanied by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Official start of #BELCAN2018 with warm welcome by @GGJuliePayette – Canada and Belgium building bridges between different cultures @RideauHall pic.twitter.com/BrOqD9fBqV

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) March 12, 2018

After an inspection of the guard of honour, the King and the Queen, along with the Governor-General, attended a ceremonial tree planting of a sugar maple on the Rideau Hall Grounds. Then they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial, to pay tribute to the Canadian soldiers who contributed to the liberation of Belgium in two world wars.

Boomplanting en kransneerlegging aan Onbekende Soldaat. Symbolen van gehechtheid en dankbaarheid #BELCAN2018 pic.twitter.com/cFD8yJjfXb

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) March 12, 2018

Later, at the Parliament Hall, the King and the Queen met with George J. Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada. The Royal Couple signed the Golden Book and visited the Library and the Memorial Chapel.

At Parliament, King Philippe & Queen Mathilde visited the Senate, the Library, and the Memorial Chapel @MonarchieBe #BELCAN2018@@BelgiuminCA @CanEmbBeLux @CanadaFP pic.twitter.com/ZdKpaEdjr0

— Roy Norton (@RoyNorton1) March 12, 2018

In the afternoon King Philippe and Queen Mathilde paid a visit to a traditional sugar shack at the sugar bush in the midst of Richelieu Park in Vanier. The Royal Couple was informed about the history of the sugar shack, the maple tapping techniques and the process of maple syrup production.

In the evening took place a state dinner hosted by the Governor-General of Canada at the Rideau Hall.

https://twitter.com/MonarchieBe/status/973281769255587840

Filed under Belgium
Tagged Canada, Governor-General Payette of Canada, King Philippe of the Belgians, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, State Visit.

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