Belgian State Visits: general discussion, suggestions, reflections

[Blog Real]

I think we could have a discussion on the State Visits of Belgium and what visits do we want to see in the future?

In this topic, you can also post news about possible state visits.

 

[Hannelore]

The two state visits on the program for 2019 are Brazil and Luxembourg: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2018/07/coming-up-new-state-visit.html

 

[Blog Real]

Here's the news: https://translate.google.lu/transla.../le-roi-belge-en-visite-detat-a-lautomne-2019

 

[eya]

The two state visits on the program for 2019 are Brazil and Luxembourg: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2018/07/coming-up-new-state-visit.html

A change to the state visits next year 2019.
The Luxemburg in the Autumn remains but the March they visit the South Korea and not Brazil.

https://centre.lanouvellegazette.be...0-31/le-roi-ira-en-coree-du-sud-pas-au-bresil

 

[Blog Real]

Is there any information on possible state visits from the Netherlands and Spain to Belgium?

 

[An Ard Ri]

There's an election due in Spain and there won't be any outgoing visits until a new government is formed.

 

[Marengo]

There are no state visits in the Dutch agenda but I hope they will wait a few years, until the princesses are old enough to participate & wear a tiara.

I was hoping for a Belgian SV to the UK this year, as it is long overdue.

 

[maria-olivia]

King Albert II never went on State Visit to Great Britain. I don't kow why.
He went to the Commemoration of her Coronation, a that time he was one of the happy few who attend.
I really hope they will be a state Visit from King Philippe and Queen mathilde .

 

[An Ard Ri]

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have paid a few visits so far to the UK,I recall them visiting the queen at Windsor last summer,hopefully a State Visit is in the works.

 

[Mbruno]

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have paid a few visits so far to the UK,I recall them visiting the queen at Windsor last summer,hopefully a State Visit is in the works.

Relations between the UK and Belgium are probably at a diplomatic low right now given Charles Michel's and Guy Verhofstadt's acrimonious comments and hardline stance on Brexit. I would be surprised if a State Visit were in the works.

 

[Stefan]

Relations between the UK and Belgium are probably at a diplomatic low right now given Charles Michel's and Guy Verhofstadt's acrimonious comments and hardline stance on Brexit. I would be surprised if a State Visit were in the works.

But they are acting as representatives of the EU in that case not as representatives of Belgium.

But i fear that there will not be too much State Visits these year as the will be elections in Belgium in the next months and the formation of a new goverment usually takes some time (but hopefully not as long as once when it took 1,5 years or so).

 

[muriel]

King Albert II never went on State Visit to Great Britain. I don't kow why.
He went to the Commemoration of her Coronation, a that time he was one of the happy few who attend.
I really hope they will be a state Visit from King Philippe and Queen mathilde .

My guess is that the Belgians were never considered "heavy weights" and hence, did not get a state visit or a royal visit in recent years from the British.,

 

[Mbruno]

My guess is that the Belgians were never considered "heavy weights" and hence, did not get a state visit or a royal visit in recent years from the British.,

The UK and Belgium have been historically very close as British strategic thinking traditionally placed a great emphasis on preventing any major continental European power from taking control of the Belgian coast opposite the British isles. That is partly why the UK went to war with Germany in 1914 when Germany invaded Belgium in violation of Belgium's neutrality.


All Belgian kings before Albert II were made Knights of the Garter and, during King Baudouin's reign, there was a Belgian state visit to the UK and a return state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Belgium. Queen Elizabeth II also attended King Baudouin's funeral and she seems to get along quite well with Philippe and Mathilde, who visited her privately more than once in the UK.



If it were not for the current Brexit tension and, as Stefan said, the upcoming elections in Belgium (and possible early elections or a second referendum in the UK), I believe a Belgian state visit could be considered. I am pretty sure the Queen would personally like that.

 

[maria-olivia]

King Albert I was Knight of the Garter only after WW1!
I wonder which British Decoration King Philippe has as he was Child during Queen Elisabeth II State Visit to Belgium..

 

[Stefan]

King Albert I was Knight of the Garter only after WW1!
I wonder which British Decoration King Philippe has as he was Child during Queen Elisabeth II State Visit to Belgium..

Probably no one.

 

[muriel]

The UK and Belgium have been historically very close as British strategic thinking traditionally placed a great emphasis on preventing any major continental European power from taking control of the Belgian coast opposite the British isles. That is partly why the UK went to war with Germany in 1914 when Germany invaded Belgium in violation of Belgium's neutrality.


All Belgian kings before Albert II were made Knights of the Garter and, during King Baudouin's reign, there was a Belgian state visit to the UK and a return state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Belgium. Queen Elizabeth II also attended King Baudouin's funeral and she seems to get along quite well with Philippe and Mathilde, who visited her privately more than once in the UK.



If it were not for the current Brexit tension and, as Stefan said, the upcoming elections in Belgium (and possible early elections or a second referendum in the UK), I believe a Belgian state visit could be considered. I am pretty sure the Queen would personally like that.

I am not suggesting the historical links are not there, but two observations:

> I disagree with your point about Brexit. In the last few years and especially since the referendum, there has been a very substantial reach out to European countries on a one-to-one basis. France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain have either hosted or been hosted at a state visit, and a lot of other countries have received royal visits from C&C, William & Catherine and Harry. Belgium has only received royal visits from the BRF in the context of memorial events, even though P&M have visited the UK a few times and been received by the Queen, albeit not at a state visit.

> That the Belgians have not been invited to or have received a state visit during and since the reign of Albert only corroborates my theory that the Belgians are just not considered economically or geopolitically important enough by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to court.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

King Albert I was Knight of the Garter only after WW1!
I wonder which British Decoration King Philippe has as he was Child during Queen Elisabeth II State Visit to Belgium..

All monarchies enlist the honours in the cv of the King but monarchie.be fails to mention any Order, decoration or honour of the King...

 

[Marengo]

> That the Belgians have not been invited to or have received a state visit during and since the reign of Albert only corroborates my theory that the Belgians are just not considered economically or geopolitically important enough by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to court.

Belgium ranks as the 6th largest trading partner for the UK, before countries like Spain, Italy, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia or India. So the economy-part can't be a reason for it.

 

[Blog Real]

Is there any possibility of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde making a state visit to the United Kingdom later this year or in 2020?
I think this state visit was important, even for King Philippe to be integrated into the Order of the Garter

 

[Mbruno]

Is there any possibility of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde making a state visit to the United Kingdom later this year or in 2020?
I think this state visit was important, even for King Philippe to be integrated into the Order of the Garter

I don’t think so and, with the possibility of protracted negotiations to form a new Belgian government and the Brexit drama still unfolding in the UK, even less likely in 2019.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I might be wrong but I don't think Albert II made a State Visit to the UK during his 20 year reign?

 

[Mbruno]

I might be wrong but I don't think Albert II made a State Visit to the UK during his 20 year reign?

You are right. The last full Belgian state visit was Baudouin’s in the early 1960’s.

 

[Mbruno]

King Albert I was Knight of the Garter only after WW1!
I wonder which British Decoration King Philippe has as he was Child during Queen Elisabeth II State Visit to Belgium..

King Philippe doesn't have any British order. King Albert is a Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order .

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The current government is demissionair (without mission), a caretaker Government. That means for the coming months (the formation will take long time) no announcements of future State Visits.

 

[Stefan]

The current government is demissionair (without mission), a caretaker Government. That means for the coming months (the formation will take long time) no announcements of future State Visits.

But it was repoerted (from belgian journalists) that a belgian State Visit to Luxembourg is planned for autumn this year. So lets see if this takes place or not.

 

[theroyalfly]

King Philippe doesn't have any British order. King Albert is a Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order .

Yes! None of King Albert II's children have any British order.

 

[Stefan]

Yes! None of King Albert II's children have any British order.

The only one who will get an british Order is King Phulippe if there will be a british/belgian State Visit. Even if there would be a british State Visit to Belgium none of KIng Philippe's siblings will get a british order.

 

[Mbruno]

The only one who will get an british Order is King Phulippe if there will be a british/belgian State Visit. Even if there would be a british State Visit to Belgium none of KIng Philippe's siblings will get a british order.

I believe Prince Albert received the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order while his brother was still king. Was it during Queen Elizabeth's 1966 state visit to Belgium ?


EDIT: I found the picture below which I think is from the 1966 state visit. King Baudouin is wearing the Order of the Garter and Prince Albert wears the RVO. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are wearing the Order of Leopold. The bottom line is that, while QEII does not decorate foreign queens consort, she is known to have awarded the RVO to male consorts or crown princes, e.g. Prince Claus, Prince Henrik, Prince Albert and Prince Felipe.

 

[Stefan]

I believe Prince Albert received the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order while his brother was still king. Was it during Queen Elizabeth's 1966 state visit to Belgium ?


EDIT: I found the picture below which I think is from the 1966 state visit. King Baudouin is wearing the Order of the Garter and Prince Albert wears the RVO. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are wearing the Order of Leopold. The bottom line is that, while QEII does not decorate foreign queens consort, she is known to have awarded the RVO to male consorts or crown princes, e.g. Prince Claus, Prince Henrik, Prince Albert and Prince Felipe.

Bu then it would Princess Elisabeth who get the Royal Victoria order but none of King Phjilippe's siblings: And did she also give it to Crown pricne Haakon at her State Vitist to Norway in 2001?. Don't think so as he wore the order of St. olav at the norwegfian offical Visit to the Uk in 2005.

 

[Mbruno]

Bu then it would Princess Elisabeth who get the Royal Victoria order but none of King Phjilippe's siblings: And did she also give it to Crown pricne Haakon at her State Vitist to Norway in 2001?. Don't think so as he wore the order of St. olav at the norwegfian offical Visit to the Uk in 2005.

I don't think she would decorate anyone other than King Philippe because it would be an incoming visit to the UK and only Philippe and Mathilde would be in attendance.


I am inclined to believe that there won't be anpther outgoing visit from the UK to Belgium in the present Queen's reign as the Queen doesn't travel outside the UK anymore. When Charles is king, nobody knows what his policy will be. If he visits Belgium as king, he may change his mother's policy and decorate both Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth, or he may not. We will have to wait and see.


Prince Felipe received his GCVO at the 1988 state visit from the UK to Spain and I think Prince Albert got his at the 1966 state visit to Belgium. Queen Elizabeth made a state visit to Norway in 1981 when King Olav V was still on the throne but CP Harald had already been decorated before with the GCVO in 1955, when he was not even the heir to the throne yet. There has been no further state visit to Norway since then and that is why Haakon never got a British order. The 2001 visit to the UK was not technically a state visit, I think, although it had a white tie dinner.