Security was on high alert this morning, Friday, November 7, 2014, as His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium visited the Musée Juif de Belgique (Jewish Museum of Belgium) in Brussels.
Last May 24, a crazed gunman from Marseille, France, stormed the Musée Juif de Belgique killing four innocent people. In a statement released by the Belgian royal court immediately after the horrific event, His Majesty noted that he was “…shocked to learn that the shooting took place this afternoon at the Jewish Museum of Belgium. He extends his condolences to the relatives of the victims. The King is outraged by this act of violence that affects very much the Jewish community “
During today’s visit His Majesty met with employees and was given a tour of the museum’s various exhibitions by its president, Mr. Philippe Blondin.
On November 6, 2014, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge and His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium attended the inauguration of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden at the Wellington Barracks in London, England.
On the evening of Friday, October 24, 2014, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels to attend the première of, Shell Shock, an opera by composer, Mr. Nicholas Lens and author and famous musician, Mr. Nick Cave (yeah, that Nick Cave).
The opera marks “…the centenary of World War I depicting the horrors of the conflict through the eyes of soldiers, deserters, a nurse and an orphan. [Shell Shock] depicts neither great battles nor heroism – instead it focuses on the traumatic effects war has on individuals…” according to Reuters.
On Thursday, October 23, 2014, His Majesty king Philippe of Belgium attended Erasmus Belgica’s 10th anniversary celebrations in Brussels.
Established in 2004, Erasmus Belgica was created as an:
“…initiative of the Fondation Prince Philippe aimed at encouraging higher education student mobility within the three Communities in Belgium.
The program allows students to take part of their course (three months to a year) at a recognized institution in another Belgian Community, to experience linguistic and cultural immersion there and to adapt to a different environment, another living environment and a different mentality.”
On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium hosted a reception at Château de Laeken in Brussels for high-level athletes (hence those who participated in the latest Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia and the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China).
On Friday, October 3, 2014, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived in Antwerp to attend the inauguration of the replica of a World War I pontoon bridge across the Scheldt River.
According to the Associated Press, the original pontoon bridge was constructed at “…the start of the war in 1914 and played a major role in the defense of Antwerp. It was used by the Belgian army under King Albert I as well as the British Expeditionary Force under Winston Churchill.”
Security was on high alert this morning, Friday, November 7, 2014, as His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium visited the Musée Juif de Belgique (Jewish Museum of Belgium) in Brussels.
The Royal Correspondent 