Belgian National Day - 21 July 2009

[royalwatcher77]

here's a couple more of Astrids kids...they're all growing up so much! laetitia is so adorable!:
ANP Beeldbank
ANP Beeldbank
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/89...-Entertainment
http://picture.belga.be/belgapicture...mId=1102268-57

[LadyLeana]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

During the first national days after her wedding , Mathilde was sitting next to Queen Fabiola , they spoke and had fun.. next to the Queen Paola Prince Philippe who is always shy and we saw Queen Paola in a bad mood for the whole afternoon.
Now nevermore , Mathilde has to sit at the end , next to her Prince Philippe and Queen Fabiola next to Queen Paola !
Queen's Fabiola 's apple was really great , she has not say her last word..

I don't know if you noticed, maria-olivia, but this time Princess Mathilde and Queen Fabiola chattered and laughed while Prince Philippe was standing to attention for the troops... nicely behind his back (literally that is)

[principessa]

Where have been Joachim and Luisa-Maria?

[maria-olivia]

LadyLeana , I did not look the parade on TV this year because I was away..but I may believe you .. thanks for what you saw this year.

[giov]

Gallery Purepeople
La famille royale de Belgique au complet pour la Fête nationale... et c'est la princesse Louise, 5 ans, qui fait le spectacle !

[BMC]

It's wonderful to see Queen Fabiola participating in a royal event again after her long illness. She looks wonderful. And that apple was just delightful

[LadyLeana]

It was quite a sight, really.
I must say, I admire Queen Fabiola for mocking those threats so. So like her, though! A touch of humour you never expect.

Little Princess Louise was quite bored with the parade, but she was so fascinated with her father's uniform! I think she's a very lively and imaginative little girl, and I can't wait to see what she will grow up like.

The cutest part of the day, was when Princess Louise saw Princess Laetitia Maria. She waved really happily and then the girls gave each other a hug. All on tv, but I don't know if you can see it in any of the footage available online.

[amedea]

Originally Posted by royalwatcher77

ANP Beeldbank

the girl seated behind Maria Laura followed the princess already at her arrival (you can see it in a video posted above): she looks like an assistant , but is it possible ML needs one?

[LadyLeana]

Maybe she's a friend of Maria Laura's who is staying over. They could hardly tell her to spend the afternoon at home alone while they had their duties to attend.

[sgl]

I never really noticed it before, but Maria Laura and Louise look a lot alike. They have the same coloring, and they have similar features.

[principessa]

Originally Posted by LadyLeana

The cutest part of the day, was when Princess Louise saw Princess Laetitia Maria. She waved really happily and then the girls gave each other a hug. All on tv, but I don't know if you can see it in any of the footage available online.

Are there any pictures showing this?

[Marchesina]

Originally Posted by amedea

the girl seated behind Maria Laura followed the princess already at her arrival (you can see it in a video posted above): she looks like an assistant , but is it possible ML needs one?

Or more probably she's a nanny for Letitia Maria and Louise, or a kind of lady-in-waiting,even if she seems to be very young

[princessshacha]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

I think it was because Philippe and Mathilde were at the King's tribune, the two others were on the side , but why Laurent before Astrid , I never understood.

Laurent isent before Astrid in order of the line.

[Marsel]

Lovely celebrations.
Queen Fabiola's apple was the best thing of the day, in my opinion.
Even the British tabloid Daily Mail, not exactly known for publishing information about Belgian Royals, dedicated a small piece to Queen Fabiola (scroll down to the very end to read it).

After receiving death threats, Belgium's Queen Fabiola responded with swaggering insouciance. For far from locking herself away in her palace, she appeared at an annual military parade to mock her would-be assassins - who had been threatening to shoot her with a crossbow - by waving an apple.

The gesture, a reference to the folk hero William Tell, sent a ripple of laughter through the crowd celebrating Belgium's national day on Tuesday.

[MAfan]

Now I've understood the apple...silly me!

[sgl]

Here's another story about Queen Fabiola and the apple:

Belgium's cool Queen Fabiola defies would-be assassins with jokey apple gesture - hellomagazine.com

MSN.dk has a very cute photo of Princess Louise:

http://msndk.starlounge.com/index.cfm?objectid=58458

[Lumutqueen]

Queen Fabiola is such a wonderful woman. I am glad she turned out at the celebrations despite the letters.
All the pictures from the events are wonderful thank you everyone.

[mktv2000]

Fabiola and her apple was one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time. What a way to handle this with class and humor. Showed a side of her we don't often see from royals.

Examiner Story - Queen Fabiola Stands up to threats

[Moonmaiden23]

LOL! This is the first I have heard of the Apple Incident...I had been hoping and praying that HM would stay away from the National Day celebrations because of these threats, but I guess I should have known better!

Queen Fabiola is my SHEro! Go Fabiola!!

Prince Amadeo is really the handsomest young prince in Europe...or at the very least one of them. He looks like a film star.

[sgl]

Here is a very sweet photo of Prince Laurent and his daughter Princess Louise that was taken at the National Day celebrations this year:
Moments de complicité entre un papa et sa fille | Noblesse & Royautés