Unforgettable Event!
I was there at 8.00 and had a first place at the Protocole rows ; I entered with an Old Nun who knew the Queen.
At 9.00 the Belgian Nobilities , the Ambassadors , the President of the Courts and Lawyers in their toge, also Members of the Order of St Sepulchre with their white and red Toge. (?)
The Presidents of the Parliament and the Senate and our Ministers. I did not see the Lord Mayor of Antwerp.
And then started the Royal Houses , Archduchess Carl Ludwig of Habsbourg and her Children , Archduchess Rodolphe of Habsbourg with her Children. The Empress Farah , Don Duarte of Portugal, Princess Lea and Princess Marie Esmeralda, Princess Isabella of Liechtenstein, Saudi and Princes from Maroc and others.
Then the Reigning Houses , the Prince of Liechtenstein, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg , Sisters , Brothers and Children the whole Grand Ducal House was there;
The King and the Queen from Sweden , Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands , Queen Margarethe II, King Harald and his Sister Princess Astrid. They were followed by Members of their Houses wearing orders.
The old Grand Duke Jean and the former King and Queen of Spain entered a special door.
And then my first Shock, I saw an old frail Lady needing help for the steps . She entered the Cathedral in a black long dress with a little train and her hands were hidden. Is was the Empress of Japan and Everybody was bowing....
And then Cardinal Danneels and Monseigneur Leonard came at the main door and welcomed the late Queen Fabiola I heard out side the Last post and la Brabançonne.(second chock)
And the Coffin in simple clear oak entered the Church followed King Phllippe , Queen Mathilde and their Children, Kind Albert II (devastated) and Queen Paola, Princess Astrid who kissed the old Nun who was sitting behind me, her husband and Chldren and at the end Prince Laurent (not in black with sunglasses) Princess Claire in black and their 3 Children.
The coffin lays on the ground as the one of Pope Jean Paul II.
The Funeral mass started , the lectures in french and in dutch.
The intentions first Princess Elisabeth in dutch and french, Prince Gabriel in french and Dutch, Prince Amadeo in french and Dutch, Heditary Grand Duke Guillaume in German, A member of Queen Fabiola's family in Spnish and at the end sweet princess Louise in English.
The Holy Communion and ho .. third shock our Cardinal Danneels felt down...this was not seen on the cameras.
The Songs during the Communion Ave Maria , Libera me Out, Amazing Grace and the last one my fourth shock the Spanish " la salve Rociera" unforgettable !
The Dutch Will Tura : Hoop doet leven and José van Dam "la Quête " from l'homme de la Mancha / Jacques Brel.
The Brabançonne at the end and the Coffin of the late Queen went out of the Cathedral direction the Church of Laeken.
Queen Fabiola , I will never forget you and as Cardinal Danneels said in french in his people, son coeur battait avec celui de tous les belges "
