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10-27-2008, 04:44 PM
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Heir Apparent
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State Visit To India 2-12 november 2008
Belgium's King Albert II arrives on state visit next week
King of Belgium Albert II will arrive at New Delhi on Monday on a ten-day State visit during which economic and academic relationships with India are expected to get a major boost.
The king will be accompanied by Queen Paola, Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht and high-level business and academic delegations, including CEOs of key Belgian companies and top officials of universities of the European nation.
The visiting dignitaries will meet President Pratibha Patil and hold discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 4th November.
Patil will host a banquet in the honour of the King and his delegation.
A series of commercial agreements between Belgian and Indian companies will be signed during the State visit.
Varsities of the two countries will ink "strategic" memoranda of understanding to create a framework for more intensive people-to-people relations.
Read rest of article
Belgium's King Albert II arrives on state visit next week - www.ddinews.com
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10-27-2008, 05:53 PM
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Majesty
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India seems to be a hot destination for European royals. Crown Princess Victoria visited it not long time ago. Now King and Queen of Belgium are scheduled to visit this great country as well.I hope King Albert and Queen Fabiola will enjoy the visit.
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10-27-2008, 09:07 PM
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Al bina your first sentence is almost exactly what I was going to say!
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10-30-2008, 04:44 AM
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Aristocracy
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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i'm from india...n am most definitely looking forward to it....although sadly victoria barely recieved any press coverage here.....
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10-30-2008, 03:16 PM
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It is a really long state visit! I don't think normally a state visit of Albert and Paola os that long! Any special reasons for that?
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10-30-2008, 03:44 PM
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Princess Victoria's was unusually long too, but I think it was about the same as this. For what thats worth.
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11-03-2008, 09:59 AM
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Queen Paola of Belgium pictured during a visit at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Monday 03 November 2008.
BelgaPicture - Category details
Queen Paola looks really great!
I love the colours of her outfit!
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11-03-2008, 01:41 PM
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11-04-2008, 05:37 AM
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A bit of consternation among the press. Paola didn't want to sit down on the bench in front of the Taj Mahal. (article in dutch)
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/media_cultu...3-369145D85080}
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11-04-2008, 06:53 AM
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According to GVA the photographers later said that with king Albert II or Princess Mathilde that is never a problem. HM must have her reasons not to pose there, since the most famous recent picture was that of princess Diana and the feeling-sorry-for-myself pose in front of the temple, the queen might not have found it the best idea to copy that, a very sensible opinion IMO.
And apart from that, she is the Queen of the Belgians and she is not there to be bullied around by photographers whose only worry it is to sell pictures.
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11-04-2008, 08:57 AM
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Pics from Getty
King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium are assisted by officials as they place a floral tribute at Rag Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi on November 4, 2008.
http://i36.tinypic.com/2mmhl44.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/2zoi5x2.jpg
Belgium's King Albert and Belgium Queen Paola, with Indian President Pratibha Patil and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a ceremonial reception in New Delhi on November 4, 2008.
http://i37.tinypic.com/2e1sitg.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/sl0feo.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/jtuvpj.jpg
Gallery from IBL
http://www.iblbildarkiv.net/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveid=5018&search=(IPTC025%20contains%20(GAS2048992))&position=1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marengo
HM must have her reasons not to pose there, since the most famous recent picture was that of princess Diana and the feeling-sorry-for-myself pose in front of the temple, the queen might not have found it the best idea to copy that, a very sensible opinion IMO.
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I totally agree! Queen paola has been wise and intelligent, IMO!
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11-04-2008, 11:46 AM
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Imperial Majesty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_bina
India seems to be a hot destination for European royals. Crown Princess Victoria visited it not long time ago. Now King and Queen of Belgium are scheduled to visit this great country as well.I hope King Albert and Queen Fabiola will enjoy the visit.
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I guess with India emerging as a major economic power, people are waking up and stepping up their engagement with the country that really was not taken seriously on the world stage till not that long ago. I think we will incresingly see a lot more high porfile state visits, not just the royals who typically have little power!
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11-04-2008, 12:27 PM
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Majesty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdm
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I commend Queen Paola for refusing to sit down on the bench in front of Taj Mahal. Why is she expected to do so? Personally I see no reasons for her to do this photo shoot. It is not a part of the protocol to sit on this bench, is it?
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11-04-2008, 12:56 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_bina
I commend Queen Paola for refusing to sit down on the bench in front of Taj Mahal. Why is she expected to do so? Personally I see no reasons for her to do this photo shoot. It is not a part of the protocol to sit on this bench, is it?
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What I find most amazing about the theory about Paola not sitting on the bench for fear of avoiding comparisons with Diana is that that is whether the bench (which has stood there for 500 years) will now forever appear "tainted" by its association with somebody using it to manipulate the British press!
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11-04-2008, 01:11 PM
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Majesty
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With all due respect to British or any other press ..., but Queen Paola neither broke protocol rules nor did anything inappropriate. What are possible similarities between Queen Paola and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, except infidelity of their spouses? I have noticed that the Taj Mahal bench photo shoot has become the must during official visits. When the late Diana, Princess of Wales did it, it was considered as novel and cute. Now it is becoming insincerely trite. To do the Taj Mahal bench photo or not is a personal choice of each person, but not press.
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11-04-2008, 03:00 PM
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11-04-2008, 04:06 PM
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Majesty
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Queen Paola looks wonderful , I like her dark blue dress, her pearls and her hairdo.
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11-04-2008, 04:22 PM
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I believe the suit with the pink shawl was worn before when she and king Albert were on a state visit to the Netherlands. At the time she wore it with a pink pillbox.
Nice to see HM did her hair somewhat differently than usual this evening, and I do not recall having seen those earrings before.
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11-04-2008, 10:30 PM
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Aristocracy
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i really don't like preseident pratibha patil...we all mourned here when abdul kalam left...a far more charismatic leader and persona....patil just looks old , bored and tired...
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11-05-2008, 01:38 AM
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Well, the visit to the Taj Mahal wasn't really part of the programm, if I understand correctly. It was a "private" excursion. The Queen and most of the economic and academic delegation visited the Mausoleum, but the King remained in New Dehli to make some last preparations.
I think the Queen was secretly very happy that the camera's were not allowed to follow her close to the building. 
Here you can see what they said in the VRT news about her visit (especially first part is about the Queen, second is about the economic growth of the country). The commentary says about the same as what I wrote here. Just enjoy the view. 
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