Belgian State Visit to Italy : 1-3 December 2021 [Cancelled]


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
King Philippe clearly takes great pride in his family history; I wonder if he will discuss his half-Italian heritage on the trip.
 
King Philippe clearly takes great pride in his family history; I wonder if he will discuss his half-Italian heritage on the trip.

It is not the King but the (still demissionary) Government which decides on State Visists. But indeed, he is a son of an Italian aristocrat and his great-aunt Maria-José was the last Queen of Italy.

But apart from that, in the former coal mining and steel works regions in Belgium there are a LOT of Belgians from Italian origin. The first wave of immigrants after WWII was mainly Italian. All flocking to the (then) thriving industrial regions in mainly Liège and to the coal mines in mainly Limbourg.

I am curious to see if the King will meet Prince Vittorio Emanuele (a full cousin of his father).

Royal link to the Italian royal family:

Philippe, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x la comtesse Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz
|
Albert II, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x Donna Paola dei principi Ruffo di Calabria
|
Léopold III, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x Princess Astrid of Sweden
|
Albert I, Roi des Belges , prince de Belgique, prince de Saxe-Cobourg et Gotha x Elisabeth Herzogin in Bayern
|
la princesse Marie-José de Belgique x Umberto II, Re d'Italia, Duca di Savoia
|
Vittorio Emanuele, Duca di Savoia x Marina Ricolfi Doria
|
Emanuele Filiberto, Principe di Savoia x Clotilde Courau
 
Last edited:
A lot of italians left their Sunny Country to work in our Coal Mines until the Tragedy of le Bois du Cazier (more of 200 deads)
They married belgians and brought Joy in the poor Wallonie of that time.
Many of them never returned in Italy because they wanted to stay with their Children and Grandchildren.
 
A lot of italians left their Sunny Country to work in our Coal Mines until the Tragedy of le Bois du Cazier (more of 200 deads)
They married belgians and brought Joy in the poor Wallonie of that time.
Many of them never returned in Italy because they wanted to stay with their Children and Grandchildren.

I thought Wallonie was rich then? Cockerill, Usines Boël, Union Minière, Compagnie Maritime Belge, Société Générale... it was not for nothing that Italians went to Wallonie.

Expo 1958, the Atomium :belgiumflag: was a rich and booming country in the 1950's. (The immigrants were very poor indeed. I saw the movie "Marina" about young Rocco Granata. Pffff, very hard circumstances indeed.)
 
Italian immigrants came after WW2 when the Glory of what you mentioned above were in decline.
Your Post is our of Topic.
 
I wonder if the president of the Italian Republic will invite the princes and princesses of the House of Savoy to the state dinner. After all, they are related by blood to the Belgian king.
 
As Philippe seems to be interested in his genealogy this would have been a good visit to bring Elisabeth to but I guess this would interrupt her studies. Either way it'll be a good visit to follow.
 
He did not invite the Princes of Savoie for King Albert II State Visit.
For Princess Elisabeth , Sudies first !
 
Last edited:
:previous:

The state visit of king Albert II to Italy was in 1998. The prince of Piedmont was only allowed back in the country since November 2002.

Considering the controversies around the prince I would be very surprised if he would be attending the state dinner. If anybody is invited his son is a more likely guest.
 
Last edited:
It is not the King but the (still demissionary) Government which decides on State Visists. But indeed, he is a son of an Italian aristocrat and his great-aunt Maria-José was the last Queen of Italy.

But apart from that, in the former coal mining and steel works regions in Belgium there are a LOT of Belgians from Italian origin. The first wave of immigrants after WWII was mainly Italian. All flocking to the (then) thriving industrial regions in mainly Liège and to the coal mines in mainly Limbourg.

I am curious to see if the King will meet Prince Vittorio Emanuele (a full cousin of his father).

Royal link to the Italian royal family:

Philippe, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x la comtesse Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz
|
Albert II, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x Donna Paola dei principi Ruffo di Calabria
|
Léopold III, Roi des Belges, prince de Belgique x Princess Astrid of Sweden
|
Albert I, Roi des Belges , prince de Belgique, prince de Saxe-Cobourg et Gotha x Elisabeth Herzogin in Bayern
|
la princesse Marie-José de Belgique x Umberto II, Re d'Italia, Duca di Savoia
|
Vittorio Emanuele, Duca di Savoia x Marina Ricolfi Doria
|
Emanuele Filiberto, Principe di Savoia x Clotilde Courau

Elio di Rupo (the former Prime Minister of Belgium) is a son of one of these Italian immigrant families.
 
Elio di Rupo (the former Prime Minister of Belgium) is a son of one of these Italian immigrant families.


Indeed, but also the actor Matteo Simoni, the singer Lara Fabian, the F1 coureur Jérôme d'Ambrosio or even the Eurovision Song Contest winner Sandra Kim (real name: Sandra Caldarone).

A great community in Belgium. :italyflag:
 
Last edited:
I completely understand, but it is indeed disappointing. I've a feeling Mathilde would have pulled out the fashion stops in Italy.;)
 
And again not visit in Italy!

" State visit of Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to Italy is cancelled.

Decision taken "in the light of the suddenly very quickly deteriorating health situation in Belgium and Europe", the palace in Brussels says.

Trip was planned from next Wednesday to Friday."

 
Coincidentally, I was expecting a cancellation to be announced soon. It is the right thing to do especially now that the omicron variant has already been identified in Belgium.
 
Last edited:
A pity,but understandeble.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Unavoidable and a wise decision given the 4th Wave in Europe.
 
In Belgium the situation is terrible even the twice vacinated people as my Son have the Covid.

8 Ministers and a lot of important belgians had to go with the King and the Queen to their State Visit . They have to stay in Belgium due to our critical Covid Situation.
The King will go alone with a small delegation such as Mrs Sophie Wilmes our Minister of Foreign Affairs. The actual President of Italy will leave on January 2022.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
8 Ministers and a lot of important belgians had to go with the King and the Queen to their State Visit . They have to stay in Belgium due to our critical Covid Situation.
The King will go alone with a small delegation such as Mrs Sophie Wilmes our Minister of Foreign Affairs. The actual President of Italy will leave on January 2022.

Does that mean the state visit has been downgraded to an official visit by the King alone, but is still going on in some alternate format?
 
Last edited:
Yes , it is Downgrated due the Situation here in Belgium , the Queen will not attend . It will be a short Visit and our King will meet President Sergio Mattarella whose Presidency will end on January 2022. We don't know more.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom