Royal Family of Belgium - Current Events, Part 7 (Jan. 2009 - July 2013)

iceflower · May 21, 2009

MAfan said:
I've noticed that Queen Fabiola uses to wear gloves also while eating, in these days; I wonder why...

Surely as a result of all what lays behind her, the medical treatment
and so on.. and those wounds need more time to heal at that age..

Here are a few more nice close ups of the family members during
the prize ceremony:

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **

LadyLeana · May 21, 2009

MAfan said:
I've noticed that Queen Fabiola uses to wear gloves also while eating, in these days; I wonder why...

Might also be because she suffers from arthritis. Maybe wearing gloves keeps her hands warmer and thus less painful? Could be so many reasons...

Thank you for the close-ups, iceflower! I thought especially Astrid's is a really nice picture.

Marengo · May 21, 2009

Nice to see them all together again, dispite some ghastly outfits. I wish princess Mathilde for once would buy clothes at another place than Natan, most of his clothes make her look older than she is!

Any idea why Laurent stopped attending family events?

Marengo · May 21, 2009

MAfan said:
Also Queen Wilhelmina took the title of Princess, because two "full rights" Queens (=not Queens consort) cannot exist at the same time in the same country.

Well, two grand dukes do exist in Luxembourg:
HRH the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and
HRH Grand DUke Jean of Luxembourg.

Like in Belgium:
HM the Queen and
HM Queen Fabiola.

This could and can be done in the Netherlands too but it is unlikely that Beatrix will start. She already has somewhat haughty reputation, so clinging on to the title 'queen' after an abdication after her mother and grand mother did not, will only strenghten that.

Queen Wilhelmina explained in her autobiography that she liked the idea that she arrived and left this earth with the same title, princess of the Netherlands. Further more, Wilhelmina was always a woman of black and whites, so after her abdication she declared that to the constitution she was dead, so to keep calling herself queen was odd. She even went so far to throw a security guard out of her car on the highway, when she drove home from Amsterdam to Apeldoorn after Juliana was enthroned.

Marengo · May 28, 2009

The posts about the Belgian royals attending the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition have been moved to this thread, that deals with the annual event.

ZUBIAUR · May 28, 2009

iceflower said:
Surely as a result of all what lays behind her, the medical treatment
and so on.. and those wounds need more time to heal at that age..

Here are a few more nice close ups of the family members during
the prize ceremony:

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **

Princess Mathilde looks lovely :flowers:

stephanievl · Jun 7, 2009

stephanievl · Jun 7, 2009

stephanievl · Jun 7, 2009

It is nice to see Amedao and Maria Laura again!

MAfan · Jun 7, 2009

What about the King, the Queen and Queen Fabiola?

maria-olivia · Jun 7, 2009

The King and the Queen never vote.
Queen Fabiola who never voted when she was Queen consort , now she has to vote.
She did a lot for the "Concours Reine Elisabeth " perhaps she is in Spain.
A few years ago she waited one hour like everybody.
Since her illness in the beginning 2009 she is weak and we did not see her to day.

MAfan · Jun 7, 2009

But have the King and the Queen the right of vote? In Britain, for example, the Queen doesn't have this right...

ZUBIAUR · Jun 7, 2009

In Spain they can not vote

maria-olivia · Jun 7, 2009

The same in Belgium

LadyLeana · Jun 8, 2009

I thought the King and Queen have the right to vote, but they can choose not to.

As for Queen Fabiola, she always did her civil duty, even when her brother was really ill, she went to vote before flying to Spain. She was probably either unwell or abroad. Or she gave one of her family members a "power of attorney" to vote for her. All possible. I'm not sure if she is regarded a "normal citizen" in this respect, or if her status as former Queen-consort prevails.

alterego · Jun 25, 2009

I was waiting for the annual family photos taken in Laken Palace in May/June. But seems there would not be any in press this year?

paola · Jun 25, 2009

alterego said:
I was waiting for the annual family photos taken in Laken Palace in May/June. But seems there would not be any in press this year?

I do hope there is a special family photo session this year. It isn't an annual event you know.
And they usually don't announce it on the agenda,suddenly there was a photossion and there are new family photos.

I fear we have to wait until August the 30th, [a reception in Laeken for the various royal wedding anniversaries this year].
But because the King and Queen are wed 50 years and the 75th birthday of the King I hope for many photos with all children and grandchildren.

alterego · Jun 25, 2009

paola said:
I do hope there is a special family photo session this year. It isn't an annual event you know.
And they usually don't announce it on the agenda,suddenly there was a photossion and there are new family photos.

Ah, I see. Thanks paola, I thought it were an annual event.

paola said:
I fear we have to wait until August the 30th, [a reception in Laeken for the various royal wedding anniversaries this year].
But because the King and Queen are wed 50 years and the 75th birthday of the King I hope for many photos with all children and grandchildren.

I look forwards to it.

maria-olivia · Jun 25, 2009

2009 is an important year for the Belgian RF. The King is 75 years old .
The King and the Queen are married since 50 years.
Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz 25 years, Prince Philippe and Mathilde 10 years.
As you know they will be alas no ball , no garden-party no other royals coming...
As said before they will invite the belgians who married the same day in 1959 and 1999 and this on August the 30th.

sgl · Jun 25, 2009

I like that idea of inviting others with the same anniversary to celebrate with the royal family! I think it is a very nice gesture.

Even though I enjoy a royal gala like everyone else, I think that this idea is a nice change.

Andrew 24 · Jul 9, 2009

Do you know something about any state visit to Belgium in 2009?

iceflower · Oct 8, 2009

Queen Paola, King Albert and Prince Philippe of Belgium pictured
during a lunch at the Castle of Laeken-Laken, Brussels, 08 October
2009, on the second day of the official visit of China Vice-President
Xi Jinping in Belgium.

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 **

LadyLeana · Oct 8, 2009

The Vice President of China is in the country to open the exhibition "Europalia China", which will show some exclusive pieces from the Forbidden City, which have never left China before.

The entire royal family is supposed to attend the inauguration of the exhibition.

maria-olivia · Oct 8, 2009

LadyLeana , Nowadays a lot of receptions are in Laeken.
Can we say our King has 3 palaces ; one for work(officiel royal palace in Brusssels) , one for his receptions (Laeken), at one for his private life (Belvedere)?

stephanievl · Oct 8, 2009

rince Lorenz, Princess Astrid, Queen Paola, Prince Laurent (back), Vice-President of China popular republic, Xi Jinping, King Albert II, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde and Princess Maria-Laura (oldest daughter of Astrid), pictured at the entrance of the exhibition "Son of the Sky" / "Fils du Ciel" / Zoon van de Hemel", at the official opening of Europalia China, at Brussels Center for Fine Arts /Palais des Beaux-Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Thursday 8 October 2009. BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
BelgaPicture - Category details

LadyLeana · Oct 8, 2009

maria-olivia said:
LadyLeana , Nowadays a lot of receptions are in Laeken.
Can we say our King has 3 palaces ; one for work(officiel royal palace in Brusssels) , one for his receptions (Laeken), at one for his private life (Belvedere)?

Yes, I suppose you could put it that way. Normally, of course, the Laeken palace is also the residence of the King, only Albert and Paola preferred to stay at the Belvedère, where they had made their home so many years ago (50 now, to be exact...)

The Brussels Palace is also sometimes used for receptions, I hope they will use it often when Belgium presides the EU. Especially the grand ballroom with all the chandeliers is so impressive!

iceflower · Oct 8, 2009

Pics 8.10.2009

The Royal Family attends the exhibition "Son of the Sky" at the official
opening of Europalia China, at Brussels Center for Fine Arts (Paleis voor
Schone Kunsten), October 8, 2009:

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **

** ppe gallery **

queenofthelight · Oct 9, 2009

Courtesy of Belga. :flowers:

Prince Lorenz, Princess Astrid, Queen Paola, Prince Laurent, Vice-President of China popular republic, Xi Jinping, King Albert II, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde and Princess Maria-Laura, pictured at the entrance of the exhibition "Son of the Sky", at the official opening of Europalia China, at Brussels Center for Fine Arts (8/10/2009)

.

http://i38.tinypic.com/hvcnrk.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/wri4rb.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/358850j.jpg

BelgaPicture - Category details

QUEENECE29 · Oct 9, 2009

Belgium Royal Family visited exhibition ‘Son of the Sky’ at the official opening of Europalia China, at Brussels Center for Fine Arts
9 October « Myroyal’s Blog

giov · Oct 9, 2009

Ibl gallery

Royal Family of Belgium - Current Events, Part 7 (Jan. 2009 - July 2013)

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