Commemoration of the Start of WWI in Belgium: August 4, 2014


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cepe

cepe

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This event is taking place at St. Symphorien, near Mons in Belgium. Heads of State will be present including from Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The first and last British soldiers who died during the First World War are buried in this bi-national (German & British) cemetery.

The Canadian troops liberated the city of Mons and George L Price was the last soldier to die during this conflict, at 10.58 on November 11, 1914 at Viller sur-Haine near Mons, two minutes before the ceasefire.
 
Will the Heads of State from Austria and from Hungary be in attendance?
​
 
HRH The Duke Cambridge, accompanied by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, will attend a service of remembrance hosted by the Government of Belgium at Liege. TRHs will subsequently travel to St Symphorien Military Cemetery, a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Mons, Belgium, for a UK commemorative event.


HRH Prince Henry of Wales will attend the "Step Short" commemorative event in Folkestone. HRH will subsequently join The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Mons.
Click to expand...
http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2014/WW1CentenaryCommemorations.aspx
 
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:previous:

Every working member of the BRF is attending a service on 4th August. Except the Duke of York who will be attending an event which will be announced at a later date (source @royalreporter)
 
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Just as a reminder, this is a thread for the commemoration event in Mons, Belgium, as it will be attended by members of multiple royal families. Events attended by members of one family only (such as all the events in the UK on August 4) should be posted in the respective family forum.
 
Is anyone going to this event? I want to go with a friend of mine but haven't done something like this before (except when the King came to Ghent, but that was organized for the people). I read on the website that visitors will not be allowed on the cemetery for a few days because of this commemoration and that the visit of the Duke and Duchess will be televised on a big screen. Does this mean no-one will get to see the royals?
 
I'm trying to find out when they go the cemetery although it will be closed, but I do know it will be relayed via big screen in Mons - but again I can't find anywhere where the times are given.
 
Thanks to one and all for all the information.

Last night on CBC's The National there was a beyond fascinating discussion about World War One, why we should remember this horrible conflict and how it's still affecting us today. It should be up over at theirYouTube channel the next couple of days. It really has made me think about more than a few things both in our History and also today.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
 
Tiggersk8 said:
Thanks to one and all for all the information.

Last night on CBC's The National there was a beyond fascinating discussion about World War One, why we should remember this horrible conflict and how it's still affecting us today. It should be up over at theirYouTube channel the next couple of days. It really has made me think about more than a few things both in our History and also today.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
Click to expand...

Tomorrow, August 1 at 1600, the church bells in all French communes will ring to mark the declaration of war. A copy of the declaration will be posted on the doors of participating communes, according to local press here in France.
 
The Dukes of cambridge go for Belgium? will they be with Philippe and Mathilde?
 
BritishMonarchy @BritishMonarchy · 6h
Buckingham Palace will turn the #LightsOut between 10-11pm on Monday 4th August to mark the centenary of the outbreak of #WW1 #LestWeForget
 
Today myself and my partner did a four hour shift planting red poppies in the dry moat of the Tower of London. Between 17th of July and Armistice Day [11 November] 888,246 hand made ceramic poppies [one for each man from the British Empire that died in the Great War] will be planted,and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Henry will visit the installation on Tuesday, when they will plant poppies of their own.

We had a great day, with good prople commemorating the selfless sacrifice of so many, MANY men, of many nationalities who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It was an extremely moving and humbling experience, and one i will never forget.

http://huff.to/1zLbOXV
 
do we know who else is attending? felipe and letizia are, and so is guillaume of luxembourg....
 
The President of France and the President of Germany will attend also.
 
Martin @CourtierUK · 13m
William and Kate left for Belgium from RAF Northolt this evening.
 
I'm guessing this website will broadcast Live Video Coverage-
http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws and perhaps Reuters-http://www.livestation.com/reuters?source=redirect. Has anyone else heard about if there will be any Live coverage?
 
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anele14 said:
Felipe and Letizia are ???
Click to expand...

I have posted the link to the official announcement of the spanish court to the first page. According to that king Felipe will attend alone.
 
Commemoration of the Start of WWI in Belgium; August 4, 2014

wyevale said:
Today myself and my partner did a four hour shift planting red poppies in the dry moat of the Tower of London. Between 17th of July and Armistice Day [11 November] 888,246 hand made ceramic poppies [one for each man from the British Empire that died in the Great War] will be planted,and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Henry will visit the installation on Tuesday, when they will plant poppies of their own.

We had a great day, with good prople commemorating the selfless sacrifice of so many, MANY men, of many nationalities who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It was an extremely moving and humbling experience, and one i will never forget.

http://huff.to/1zLbOXV
Click to expand...


As the Great Niece of WWI Canadian Soldiers, Thank You.

One of the Funeral Homes in my Hometown put a weather proof Canadian flag on their front lawn every time we had a Fallen Soldier in Afghanistan. That hit home far more than anything else, because a number is only a number. Seeing all those flags though? Every one of those flags stood for someone's Son or Daughter (We lost our first Female Soldier in Combat in Afghanistan) and... :(

This Installation will do the same w/the horrible loss of life suffered by The British Empire/Commonwealth during World War One I hope. After all, numbers are just that. All those Poppies though... :(


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
 
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As the great-granddaughter of an Aussie (British - he was born in the UK but died under the Aussie flag at Gallipoli) I too send my thanks for the acknowledgement of the remembrance of our lost sons in that dreadful war.
 
@britishroyals: Prince William & Kate arrive in Liège & are geeted by Belgium's King Philippe & Queen Mathilde #WW1centenary http://t.co/xmI6et5DMg
 
The king of Spain and the duke and duchess of Cambridge just arrived and were welcomed by the Belgian king and queen.

First pictures:
Herdenkingen WOI

The HGD of Luxembourg is also present, without his Belgian wife.

For the Netherlands minister of state, Hans van den Broek attends the event (former minister of Foreign Affairs, former European Commissioner). He is the father of Princess Marilene of Orange-Nassau, wife of Prince Maurits. The present minister of Foreign Affairs was supposed to attend but had to cancel due to more pressing affairs: the MH17 attack. The Netherlands was neutral during the war but received a lot of Belgian refugees.

There will be speeches from King Philippe, president Gauck, president Hollande and the Duke of Cambridge.

The duke started his speech with a reference to Stefan Zweig, a part from 'The World of Yesterday' a chapter that coinsidently I read just yesterday. The Flemish tv has the very competent commentary from Prof. Sophie de Schaepdrijver, thé expert on the Belgian part of WWI.

The European anthem was moving, considering how WWI was the source of the wreckage and decline of the old continent for most of the 20th century.
 
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