Belgian State Visit to South Africa: March 22 - 27, 2023


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Duc_et_Pair said:
That is true but it is another erosion of what a Royal Visit means. The glanz und gloria of representing a proud and self-conscious nation on world stage (one of the raisons d'être of a State Visit) seems absent here.
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What can royals do? Put their feet down at their host, risking outrage from a population that is already rioting against their own president?!

These toned down visits are disrespectful to any country IMO, State Visits, no matter if from a Monarchy or a Republic should be at the highest level possible. It's the Head of a Nation you're receiving, you're showing up the best of you Country to another, even through hospitality.
 
This State Visit should have been postponed,or better,never take place to a country so rife with corruption and intolerable and widespread incapability in any field!!

One doesn´t want to find themselves in a place like that.Disorganised wateringhole where it once was a wonderfull glorious country,where nothing,absolutely nothing,has changed over the decades,except the sort of government and they didn´t change anything,going by the saying ..`Change is valuable because it lets the oppressed be tyrants ` .

And heck are they good at it!
Such a shame,really is.
 
The return event has taken place this evening, meant to thank the host - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his invitation - but the President cancelled his attendance....


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **
 
Adda said:
Here's a Behind The Scenes video by Wim Dehandschutter.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639016024862334977
Click to expand...

Oh dear ...
When I read "the State Dinner will be downsized", I didn't expect it would be "pouring bottled water straight from its bottle into glass in front of the guest" kind of downsize. How about get a water jug, fill it with bottled water in the kitchen, then bring the bottled-water-filled jug to the table? It's still bottled water, but surely the optic will be better. I'm pretty sure water jugs don't cost that much.
 
And that my fellow posters is South Africa for you! I am disappointed in my Motherland especially in the President.
 
iceflower said:
The return event has taken place this evening, meant to thank the host - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his invitation - but the President cancelled his attendance....


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **
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Who attended representing the President?
 
This SV is borderline disrespectful towards their guests....
 
Did Queen Mathilde unexpectedly ask for bottled water, since it was served in this manner?

It was indeed a somewhat smallish banquet for a state visit.

Forgive my ignorance but what's the gist of the situation in South Africa right now, since that affects this visit so much?
 
I cannot believe what I just saw with regards to the so called 'state banquet'. There was the Queen, done up to the nines, and she looked like she had stumbled into a family dinner in someone's home.
 
yukari said:
Oh dear ...
When I read "the State Dinner will be downsized", I didn't expect it would be "pouring bottled water straight from its bottle into glass in front of the guest" kind of downsize. How about get a water jug, fill it with bottled water in the kitchen, then bring the bottled-water-filled jug to the table? It's still bottled water, but surely the optic will be better. I'm pretty sure water jugs don't cost that much.
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While wearing a bright pink plastic 'festival bracelet' to confirm access?!.

And another one was taking orders while they are seated at the table (you can see someone writing their orders down). And for some reason the president was seated opposite of the king but on his side were both his wife and to her left also the president's wife -if I'm not mistaken- (why wasn't she seated next to Philippe?). I'd say either the queen should have been seated next to the president or all four of them should have been seated next to each other....

sophie25 said:
I cannot believe what I just saw with regards to the so called 'state banquet'. There was the Queen, done up to the nines, and she looked like she had stumbled into a family dinner in someone's home.
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She was definitely the one who brought most 'sparkle' to this so-called state dinner.
 
The look of bewilderment on the faces of TM! Mathilde looked absolutely gorgeous, and at one point broke the tension by making everyone laugh.

To be a fly on the wall in Philippe and Mathilde's private quarters later....:lol:
 
Muhler said:
Did Queen Mathilde unexpectedly ask for bottled water, since it was served in this manner?

(...)
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Hopefully not since it would insinuate that she didn't trust the host enough to serve her with drinkable water, hence instead of from the jug (if there's any in the first place), she wanted one directly from sealed bottle (and she needed to see it being poured into the glass with her own eyes to make sure that it's bottled water) which would be quite insulting for the host in my opinion and I believe the Queen should know better than that.
 
It may be all different.

:previous:It may be all different. Near the end of the video you can see the service waiting with two types of dishes, soup and another starter I think. Perhaps the conversation was not about the water, but about the choice of the starter. I think it's a coincidence that the pouring of the water came just after the conversation. And that it is served from the bottle at the table, why not, that happens with champagne and wine too.
 
paola said:
:previous:It may be all different. Near the end of the video you can see the service waiting with two types of dishes, soup and another starter I think. Perhaps the conversation was not about the water, but about the choice of the starter. I think it's a coincidence that the pouring of the water came just after the conversation. And that it is served from the bottle at the table, why not, that happens with champagne and wine too.
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Well, I'd think that was something the South African protocol guy would arrange beforehand with the Belgian protocol guy.
This left an impression of a take-away order or ordering at a diner and even at a diner they would never pour your water directly from a bottle at the table.

I assume a delegation went with the Belgian Regent Couple?
And if they were treated in a similar - shall we say - refreshingly informal manner, that could likely mean large orders and investments out the window, because the guests would think: What else is "refreshingly informal?"

There are other countries in Africa who would be more than happy to accept Belgian investments instead, because that's also very much what state visits are about: Money.
 
Also under earlier Presidents the State Banquets were quite simple:

The Duke of Edinburgh, President Mandela and Mrs Graça Machel:
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/52...=-iyuB4pXDd8cr0s2yfanuVv_roho7nb2CiWeKNbdaGk=

Queen Elizabeth II (with jewels) and President Mbeki served by waiters just wearing white shirts:
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/52...=rfud2imx5D8oOei96fqN81HWEMS6F-nvInYjANPYi3M=

President Zuma and Queen Sonja of Norway (with jewels):
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/15...=BIVts9xGCxOU9DT6wf3HjCqrykbNlMpryu9JOXyN2Zw=

President Ramaphosa opposite minister Mrs Zulu (with hat during an evening event...) with the Belgian royal couple (without major jewels):
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/12...=MTFDJ8tKdAx6C8ZK_kYGYsIsfMjR4ntwobynSSQGwvE=

President Mandela and Queen Beatrix (wearing jewels) also in a relatively sobre setting (see the metal hotel chair):
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/91...=5PRUOoC1goSykb7yopTc0JoLtH9WGpCTnIGTjnMT7UI=
 
paola said:
:previous:It may be all different. Near the end of the video you can see the service waiting with two types of dishes, soup and another starter I think. Perhaps the conversation was not about the water, but about the choice of the starter. I think it's a coincidence that the pouring of the water came just after the conversation. And that it is served from the bottle at the table, why not, that happens with champagne and wine too.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's fair to compare wine and champagne with bottled water in "fancy dinner". For one, it can be said that there's certain "prestige" in wine's bottles. We basically show off it's bottle: the type of wine, the brand, the year, etc, which is not the case for bottled water. I mean we have sommeliers and wine connoisseurs for wine, but nothing of short for bottled water.

Btw, I'm 99% sure nobody said anything about bottled water.
 
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/resolve/image_1240/image/5/59739/7018935-x.jpg

Well late president Mandela and his delegation spontaneous sang to QMII and PH, during a state visit to DK many years ago. That was not taken as an affront, but seen as very friendly gesture towards his hosts. (I believe it was the first time He'd done that on a state visit.) And something QMII very much appreciated, She and Nelson Mandela got along fine, thank you very much! All the other formalities, speeches and such had been observed by both sides.
So it is possible to be "refreshingly informal" without being seen as snubbing your guests.
 
yukari said:
Hopefully not since it would insinuate that she didn't trust the host enough to serve her with drinkable water, hence instead of from the jug (if there's any in the first place), she wanted one directly from sealed bottle (and she needed to see it being poured into the glass with her own eyes to make sure that it's bottled water) which would be quite insulting for the host in my opinion and I believe the Queen should know better than that.
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Other glasses were filled in the same way as can be seen earlier in the video. So, it was indeed definitely not a special request by Mathilde.

And with regard to the hat that was worn. It seems she was wearing the same outfit as earlier in the day when the president and his wife received their guests.
 
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Adda said:
Here's a Behind The Scenes video by Wim Dehandschutter.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639016024862334977
Click to expand...


Thanks.

Mathilde really shows what a pro she is, all friendly smiles. Her husband is more like; what the heck am I experiencing, haha.
I wonder where the rest of the delegation is. Normally a State visit involves lots and lots of people, from both countries. I've never seen so few dinner guests before.
 
General economic woes, and particular problems with energy supplies - they keep having power cuts.
 
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