King Philippe, Q. Mathilde and Family, General News, Part 1 (July 2013 - Sept. 2017)

[leidi]

Elisabeth is a split image of her father!

I think Elisabeth looks more like Mathilde than Philippe, as they have similar eyes to me.

I think Elisabeth favors her paternal family more, her smile is IDENTICAL to her grandmother Paola's and she also has the same eyes (Philippe has his mother's eyes and gave them to all his children except for Gabriel) but she has Mathilde's "slavic" cheekbones.

All in all not a bad combination, especially knowing that kids at that age change a lot and are starting to get their adult features so they tend to be not-so-attractive but Elisabeth is quite pretty ATM so I think she'll be a beautiful woman, not in a stereotypical sense but a very unique kind of beauty.

 

[amaryllus]

She may be more handsome or striking than stereotypically beautiful Kind of like Margrethe... Her bearing and presence and dignity will make her shine and I have the feeling she will have her mothers fashion sense so all the better!

 

[Marchesina]

I think Elisabeth favors her paternal family more, her smile is IDENTICAL to her grandmother Paola's and she also has the same eyes (Philippe has his mother's eyes and gave them to all his children except for Gabriel) but she has Mathilde's "slavic" cheekbones.

All in all not a bad combination, especially knowing that kids at that age change a lot and are starting to get their adult features so they tend to be not-so-attractive but Elisabeth is quite pretty ATM so I think she'll be a beautiful woman, not in a stereotypical sense but a very unique kind of beauty.

wow! Now that you make me think about it, she does really look like her nonna , with slight "slavic" features.
good for her, after all, her grandmother was quite a beauty in the early years as Princess of Liège.

 

[stephanievl]

During their holiday in France. The familiy visited the attraction parc Futuroscope.

Picture

 

[eya]

At last a photo of the holidays of belgian royal family Thanks stephanievl.
Very relaxed and happy
I will not make any comment about the Mathilde wears are holiday

 

[grevinnan]

At last a photo of the holidays of belgian royal family Thanks stephanievl.
Very relaxed and happy
I will not make any comment about the Mathilde wears are holiday

...and I will not make a comment about the King's color combination.

 

[eya]

ahh also that to

 

[leidi]

...and I will not make a comment about the King's color combination.

ahh also that to

He and Laurent are definitely brothers, they both LOVE bright colored trousers

 

[Daria_S]

...and I will not make a comment about the King's color combination.

It takes a real man, who is secure with himself to pull that combination off. Kudos to His Majesty .


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[kathia_sophia]

Is there any more pictures? That picture is so low quality.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

During their holiday in France King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their children also visited the Royal Monastery of Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse:

Belgian Royal Family visit the Royal Monastery of Brou | NEWMYROYALS & HOLLYWOOD FASHION

 

[stephanievl]

In France, Philippe and Mathilde went for dinner to the restaurant L'ancienne auberge in Vonnas

Edition Macon | Le couple royal de Belgique de passage à Vonnas

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

On 14 March 2016, bpost will put in circulation a series of postage stamps illustrating the Belgian Royal family. These stamps were designed by myriam voz on the basis of photographs taken by Christian lahbiotte. Here are the visuals:

https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=00cff463fe3b6b38a4e2c838ea6b448f&oe=568E72D7

 

[polyesco]

close up of the stamps
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd...._=1455933891_f86185c82ea69d3cfac459bb94136d3d
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd...._=1455643866_c65e0fc4e5157acddebb25fe7bbe78ad
https://scontent-gru1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=4841bbe37b33c792831f19f824966477&oe=56B973A8
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd...._=1456640990_dfd5dbf2e6f4b34756e5baa10ec089bd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd...._=1454960727_c63ea490fdc891f8b568a500757d188d

 

[eya]

Thank you both. Beautiful stamps and an emphasis on children.

 

[Marengo]

The Belgian press is focussing on the absense of King Philippe during the first days of the lockdown of Brussels two weeks ago.

In the weekend that the alarm started the king and queen were on holiday in Bretagne, France. This was confirmed by Pierre Emanuel de Bauw, press secretary of the palace.

According to the newspapers, the French security services were puzzled why the king did not return to Brussels immediately on november 21st. Even though the king knew that the chance of an attack was realistic the king only returned to Belgium on sunday.

Terreuralarm in België, maar koning Filip blijft in Bretagne - Gazet van Antwerpen

Crisis in Brussel, maar koning Filip zat (en bleef) in Breta... - Het Nieuwsblad

 

[polyesco]

thanks
another article and pictures of the King and Queen in France
Le roi Philippe et la reine en thalasso en Bretagne lors du week-end d'alerte niveau 4 (PHOTOS & VIDEO) - DH.be
http://r4.ldh.be/image/94/565dedf8357031c12aee2494.png
http://r5.ldh.be/image/c5/565dedff35709322e7149ec5.png

the pictures are really close

 

[Marengo]

Apparently they did thalasso therapy with sea water. I suppose other guests may have been there and took the photos.

 

[leidi]

The pictures are WAY too close, where was their security detail? It was photos but it could have been a terrorist trying to murder them or something, it is really worrying

 

[maria-olivia]

Pictures were taken by the french Canard Enchainé.

We had 3 terrible days : alert 4 , no underground , schools closes, shops closed , Events cancelled in Brussels where the King lives.

People had terrible problems for organisations and there is an enormous finciancial loss in the City.

During these days they were in thalasso at Quibron relaxing....there kids at home with nurses.

Jokes and Jokes on radio and newspaper.

 

[eya]

The country at the highest warning level and the kings in another country for a relaxing weekend. The words are unnecessary

 

[leidi]

Pictures were taken by the french Canard Enchainé.

We had 3 terrible days : alert 4 , no underground , schools closes, shops closed , Events cancelled in Brussels where the King lives.

People had terrible problems for organisations and there is an enormous finciancial loss in the City.

During these days they were in thalasso at Quibron relaxing....there kids at home with nurses.

Jokes and Jokes on radio and newspaper.

Still, no one should have gotten that close to them to take these pictures, what if instead of a mobile/camera they had a gun?

And it wasn't a good thing from them to stay in Britanny but so far they have been exemplary monarchs so I am letting it slide a bit and I hope they learn from this mistake and don't do it again.

 

[Mbruno]

Still, no one should have gotten that close to them to take these pictures, what if instead of a mobile/camera they had a gun?

And it wasn't a good thing from them to stay in Britanny but so far they have been exemplary monarchs so I am letting it slide a bit and I hope they learn from this mistake and don't do it again.

The press, especially the Flemish papers, of course won't miss the opportunity to attack the King, but the criticism is unfair. First of all, it is highly debatable whether the Brussels lockdown was indeed necessary or whether the Belgian government handled the situation in the most efficient way. Second, the King did cut his trip short and was in Belgium during part of the terror alert period, even attending public events in Brussels on November 25.

 

[Marengo]

His holiday was only supposed to last for the weekend, which it did. I don't think he cut anything short.

Although he could not have done anything useful in Brussels, I have to say that seeing the king drinking a fruit cocktail in his peignoir in a spa while his capital was preparing for a terrorist attack is very, very bad PR. We had something simular when the MH17 was shot by the Russians and our king was travelling back and forth from his villa in Greece to the Netherlands, though fortunately no pictures of WA relaxing at the pool appeared in the press.

One would assume that they would have learned that the public likes their royals to share their fate with them and that they should be around when things get rough. That Leopold III didn't do so in WWII costed him his crown. I doubt that the Spanish kings would have reacted in a simular way, they seem much more sensitive (by necessity perhaps) to the demands of the public.

Considering 'sources' in the French security services supposedly commented on the oddness of the king staying in Bretagne, I wonder if it was actually a member of the French(?) security team that approached the press with these photos.

The press, especially the Flemish papers, of course won't miss the opportunity to attack the King,

The Flemish press has been rather kind on the king since he was enthroned. Even the Flemish seperatist politicians are. The only negative story that I can recall was about the king working too hard and pushing his employees to work harder too. Apart from that all negative press disappeared the moment he got on the throne and perhaps refocussed on Laurent, who is of course a gift that keeps on giving. This is the first real incident and the Walloon press is as surprised as the Flemish one.

 

[Mbruno]

His holiday was only supposed to last for the weekend, which it did. I don't think he cut anything short.

Although he could not have done anything useful in Brussels, I have to say that seeing the king drinking a fruit cocktail in his peignoir in a spa while his capital was preparing for a terrorist attack is very, very bad PR. We had something simular when the MH17 was shot by the Russians and our king was travelling back and forth from his villa in Greece to the Netherlands, though fortunately no pictures of WA relaxing at the pool appeared in the press.

One would assume that they would have learned that the public likes their royals to share their fate with them and that they should be around when things get rough. That Leopold III didn't do so in WWII costed him his crown. I doubt that the Spanish kings would have reacted in a simular way, they seem much more sensitive (by necessity perhaps) to the demands of the public.

Considering 'sources' in the French security services supposedly commented on the oddness of the king staying in Bretagne, I wonder if it was actually a member of the French(?) security team that approached the press with these photos.

The Palace spokesperson said the trip was cut short. The following quote is from the article linked in a previous post.

Le Palais, contacté, affirme qu’il s’agit "d’un voyage privé" des souverains, "prévu de longue date". Le porte-parole du Palais ajoute : "Cette escapade - à la charge personnelle du roi - a été écourtée afin de permettre à Philippe de rentrer en Belgique."

 

[Marengo]

According to Pierre Emmanuel Bauw, spokesperson of the palace, the weekend was planned for the 21st and 22nd. He returned to Brussels on the 22nd, but perhaps a few hours earlier then planned.

Again: not that it makes much difference to me as he couldn't have done anything useful in Brussels and this whole matter seems to be a storm in a tea cup. However, the court could have predicted that this would be received badly by the press and public, as is happening now.

According to Flandersnews.be the king speaks about 'futilities':

King Filip of the Belgians has responded to the media storm triggered by photographs of his person sipping a cocktail at a French spa while Brussels was in the grip of the recent terror alert. King Filip has clearly been irritated by reactions and speaks of 'futilities'.

Read more here.

 

[Mbruno]

According to Pierre Emmanuel Bauw, spokesperson of the palace, the weekend was planned for the 21st and 22nd. He returned to Brussels on the 22nd, but perhaps a few hours earlier then planned.

Again: not that it makes much difference to me as he couldn't have done anything useful in Brussels.

According to Flandersnews.be the king speaks about 'futilities':

Read more here.

Again, he returned to Brussels early on Sunday. Schools were not reopened until Wednesday (if I recall it it correctly) and the elevated terror alert itself lasted for another week. To me, that is a non-issue then. The press is just taking advantage of the situation to attack the King.

 

[Marengo]

The photos were actually taken on Friday, so before the lockdown.

The office of prime Minister Michel reacted and says that the king was parmanently updated about the situation. He also added: 'we couldn't force him to come back'. They also didn't know where the king was: ' the government or prime minsiter should not be informed about the private agenda of the king'.

Koning Filip reageert op ‘weekendje’ tijdens terreurdreiging - De Standaard

***

While the king visited the Walloon parlament today, the Wallonian parlementarian Danielle Welter told him: "Sire, you know your files well". The king supposedly replied with a joke: "I had the whole weekend to study them".

***
A cartoon:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVNTegVXAAAKOyU.jpg

***
According to journalist Wim Dehandschutter the palace sees the French publication as another example of 'Belgium bashing', which has been going on in the French press since the attacks on November 13th.

 

[leidi]

Ah, the new developments don't make it look so bad, if the pictures were taken in the 18th, the city wasn't locked down yet.

 

[MAfan]

The photos were actually taken on Friday, so before the lockdown.

If so, they cannot be considered indicative of what the King and Queen did during the first day of the lockdown.
Besides, I believe that with Bruxelles locked down it must have taken some time to arrange the safe return of the King.