Royal Family of Belgium: Currents Events, Part 3 - Page 5

Alexandria · #81 07-12-2005, 10:00 PM

The Belgian royals seem to be keeping up a schedule of royal engagements (Albert and Paola yesterday and Phillippe and Mathilde today), while it seems the Norwegian royals are on holiday already and the Swedish royals have also enjoyed some time off already peppered with royal engagements now and then, though less frequently.

When are the Belgian royals taking off on their holidays? And what might they be doing? Do they go somewhere annually? Do they have a summer home somewhere?

dianafan · #82 07-12-2005, 10:13 PM

Quote:

When are the Belgian royals taking off on their holidays? And what might they be doing? Do they go somewhere annually? Do they have a summer home somewhere?

King Albert and queen Paola has somewhere in France a stay, queen Fabiola does not sit generally in Spain at its family, the rest of the royal family weet I it! generally we can that do not know! Filip and Mathilde visit Paola and Albert in their summer stay, but on 21 July we have firstly still a holiday and afterwards leave the royal family on travel!

dianafan · #83 07-12-2005, 10:24 PM

On 21 July we have a holiday, CELEBRATE firstly OF the DYNASTY and then come all soldiers pulp veins for the king in Brussels! With planes, tanks, red cross, everything with the army what to do has! Afterwards the Belgian royal family on holiday leaves!

Hannelore · #84 07-13-2005, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexandria

The Belgian royals seem to be keeping up a schedule of royal engagements (Albert and Paola yesterday and Phillippe and Mathilde today), while it seems the Norwegian royals are on holiday already and the Swedish royals have also enjoyed some time off already peppered with royal engagements now and then, though less frequently.

When are the Belgian royals taking off on their holidays? And what might they be doing? Do they go somewhere annually? Do they have a summer home somewhere?

Traditionnally the family leaves on holiday after teh national day (July 21st).

Paola & Albert have a residence in the South of France, Fabiola in Spain (Motril).

I expect Filip & Mathilde to stay in Belgium, because of her advanced pregnancy.

Hannelore · #85 07-13-2005, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

Thanks dianafan. I have read that the Queen's Dutch isn't that great, so I was curious if she still made the attempt to try to speak it in Limburg.:)

Limburg is a province in Flanders. No-one in the RF would ever get it in their head to talk French in Flanders. Ever. That would be a total lack of respect towards 60 % of the Belgian population.

Paola's Dutch is bad, she knows it and even though she's done several attempts to improve it (lessons etc.) it hasn't altered much. You notice that when she speaks it, she's aware that it's not good and it makes her shy and hesitant.

The rest of the RF speaks Dutch very well. Astrid & Mathilde have a French accent but that's inevitable when you were raised in French, and IMO it isn't important (Fabiola has a spanish accent, queen Astrid had a Swedish one etc. - I expect princess Mary has an English accent in Danish too etc.)

The only one I've never heard speaking Dutch is Claire (except at the engagement, a few words). When in Flanders, Laurent always does the talking, and she just stands behind him, I have no idea wether her Dutch is bad or good ...

aliocha · #86 07-13-2005, 02:03 PM

does prince Lorenz speak dutch ??

Hannelore · #87 07-13-2005, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliocha

does prince Lorenz speak dutch ??

Yes. With a German accent :)

He gave an interview in Dutch to Flemish tv at the beatification of his grandfather last year.

He gave me a pleasant surprise, very nice man. Very down to earth.

Mette2 · #88 07-14-2005, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jelka

Some older pictures: new year reception at the royal palace, January 9th, 2003:

Thank you for the pictures Jelka. :) Nice to see some old pictures. A really beautiful brooch Paola is wearing.

dianafan · #89 07-15-2005, 03:07 PM

Quote:

I expect Filip & Mathilde to stay in Belgium, because of her advanced pregnancy.

When princess Mathilde was pregnant from Gabriël visits Prince Filip and Mathilde the
residence in the South of France with the parents of Prince Filip! Why wouldn't they go now then? Only to rests to come for the labour! They have their holiday well deserves after all that work of a complete year!

Hannelore · #90 07-15-2005, 03:23 PM

No, that was when she was expecting Elisabeth, she hadn't been working much (I mean royal duties) during that pregnancy because she was studying to finish her exams (psychology), and the doctor ordered her some rest.

Of course it's well posible they go somewhere - I'm just guessing.

Mette2 · #91 07-16-2005, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jelka

Some older pictures: King Albert, Queen Paola, Prince Filip and Princess Mathilde receive representatives of the NAVO, 14/01/2003

Thank you for the pictures Jelka. Great you're able to post pictures from Isopix, and I haven't seen some of these before. :)

Hannelore · #92 07-16-2005, 02:24 PM

Great job jelka :)

Isopix has really good quality photos.

Leander België · #93 07-17-2005, 07:59 AM

Last night, the Belgian King and Queen attended a dance event in Ieper (Ypres) and here is a link I found. It was one of twelve dance events organized in Belgium (including Brussels, Antwerp …) in celebrating 175 years of Belgian Independence and 25 years of federalism. Prince Filip attended the event in Eupen and Prince Laurent attended the one in La Roche.
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...x.html?video_2

Hannelore · #94 07-17-2005, 08:20 AM

It was really a great event, also to celebrate 175 years of Belgium and to prove that Belgians are still united (in fun :)). In twelve cities in the country people came to the market square to dance the same dance at the same moment, a new invented dance ( by Belgian choreographe Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker) to a Belgian song "Ik hou van u" (" I love you"), a sweet little waltz from a Flemish singer - for the occasion the song had also been released in French.

It was a great success, I think 40.000 people participated.

The king and queen came to watch in Ieper (Flanders). Filip danced along in Eupen (german speaking part of Belgium) and Laurent in La Roche (Wallonia).

Here are some pics from Belga

Hannelore · #95 07-17-2005, 08:27 AM

Also to celebrate 175 years of Belgium a big motoparade was organized from the Panne (at the coast) to Brussels, retracing the route Leopold I made when he came to Belgium to accept the throne. The mayor of Brussels led the parade on his motorbike.

King Albert II came to greet the bikers at their arrival, which was greatly appreciated.

Albert used to be a motorfreak himself (one of the reasons why he's very popular in Belgium), but he gave it up a few years ago (he's 71 after all) after he fell and broke his ankle.

One of the bikers offered him a ride but he said "I'ts very kind of you, but I promised the queen I woudn't do it anymore. And there are too many witnesses here to break that promise" :)

He did pose on one of the motorbikes.

Here's a video :

http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...ers/index.html

bigheadshirmp · #96 07-17-2005, 02:50 PM

Caption:
BRUSSELS, BEGIUM - JULY 17: Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans (L) lends his Harley Davidson to King Albert of Belgium near the Heysel Stadion on July 17, 2005 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Renders/Getty Images)

mandyy · #97 07-20-2005, 03:21 PM

Blankenberghe sand sculpture festival., in Blankenberghe, Belgium,20050715
photo from newscom
#1: King Albert and Queen Paola
#2: King Albert
#3: King Leopold the 1st