On the evening of Monday, December 14, 2015, Their Imperial and Royal Highnesses Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este and Prince Lorenz of Belgium accompanied by TI&RHs Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Elisabetta of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este attended the Roll Back Malaria farewell reception held at Château de Val-Duchesse in Auderghem.
Since 2007 Princess Astrid has been the Special Representative to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM).
On the morning of Tuesday, December 15, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited the charity organization, Resto du Coeur, in Charleroi.
Established in 1985 Resto du Coeur provides hot meals in a large warm building to homeless individuals and families. Each day over 250 meals are prepared and served by dozens of volunteers.
On Saturday, December 12, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium attended a special Mass at the Sint-Romboutskathedraal (St. Rumbold’s Cathedral) in Mechelen for the new Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Msgr. Jozef De Kesel. Last month, November 6, His Holiness Pope Francis named Msgr. Jozef De Kesel to succeed Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard.
Twenty bishops, 140 priests and 30 deacons presided over this afternoon’s Eucharistic celebrations which was attended by over 250 people including Belgian politicians, religious leaders, and of course the faithful.
On the afternoon of Thursday, December 10, 2015, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium attended the 11th Edition of the Prix Belgodyssée for Young Journalists held at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
Established in 2004, the Belgodyssée is an initiative of Belgian Public Radio network, VRT VivaCité, and the Fonds Prince Philippe, in collaboration with the Belgian newspapers Metro and L’Avenir as well as with the support of the Chancellerie du Premier Ministre and Brussels Airlines.
The overall goal of the prize is to promote collaboration among future journalists of the three communities within the country. Held under the theme, New Forms of Solidarity, sixteen young journalists traveled throughout Belgium producing variety of reports for radio and print media while sharing their experiences on social media.
On Tuesday, December 8, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium hosted a reception at the Palais Royal in Brussels for newly appointed suppliers holding the Fournisseurs Brevetes de la Cour (royal warrant of appointment).
On the morning of December 3, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium presided over a meeting at the Palais Royal in Brussels. Discussions focused on social integration, the prevention of radicalization, and the follow-up of radicalized young people according to the Belgian royal court.
In the afternoon, His Majesty participated in a meeting with the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Frans Timmermans.
On Wednesday, December 2, 2015, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium visited the Walloon Parliament in Namur to celebrate its 35th anniversary as well as its 20th anniversary of the first direct election of its members.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium participated in La Semaine de la Lecture (Reading Aloud Week) at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium participated in a roundtable discussion at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
This morning’s meeting focused on the issue of “…burnout and the influence of the social context on it…” according to the Belgian royal court.
On Thursday, November 19, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited the province of Hainaut in the region of Walloon, Belgium.
According to AFP News the reigning couple toured a “…technical school, the cleaning products company, Pollet, and the Town Hall..”
On Wednesday, November 18, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium attended the 2015 Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize held at the Palais des Académies in Brussels.
The award went to Professor Ben Feringa from the University of Groningen in Groningen, Netherlands. Professor Feringa received the Solvay Prize for his work on “…unidirectional molecular motors, a research field that paves the way to new therapeutic and technological applications with nanorobots…” according to a press release.
Established in 2013 the Solvay Prize, worth €300,000, aims to recognize every other year a:
“…major scientific discovery that lays the foundation of the chemistry of the future while promoting human progress. It underlines chemistry’s essential role, as a science and as well as an industry, to help solve some of the most pressing issues facing our planet.”
On November 18, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium presided over a ceremony at the Palais Royal in Brussels dedicated to individuals who received a nobility title by Arrêtés Royaux (Royal Decree).
And, finally, on November 14, 2015, Their Majesties attended the baptism of HH Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha at Schloss Callenberg — son of THs Hereditary Prince Hubertus and Hereditary Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha — in Coburg, Germany. For more information about last Saturday’s event please click here.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived at the Musée des Arts Contemporains in Hornu to view the special exhibition entitled, L’Homme, le Dragon et la Mort: La Gloire de Saint Georges (The Man, The Dragon, and The Death: The Glory of Saint George).
According to a press release the exhibition displays how the:
“…iconography of St. George and the dragon has always been a powerful driver of the European imagination. A selection of works on display (including paintings, sculptures, drawings and illuminated manuscripts) representing the saint in different forms, and the exhibition examines how St. George and the dragon are identified today with various battles of humanity against hostile forces, but also and perhaps above all against humanity itself as it seeks to define its destiny.
The success of the cult of St. George was considerable, and his fame spread throughout the Western world. He became the emblem of countries and regions in Europe such as England, Portugal, Catalonia and Aragon. A multi-faceted figure, St. George was also the patron saint of corporations, of various orders and of many European cities which were placed under his protection. This success accounts for the multiple depictions to be found in the largest European collections, as well as frequent appearances in popular traditions, which still constitute an intangible heritage that is showcased in this exhibition. Four contemporary artists are invited to show how this myth has retained its meaning even today: David Claerbout, Giuseppe Penone, Luc Tuymans and Angel Vergara Santiago.”
On the evening of Monday, December 14, 2015, Their Imperial and Royal Highnesses Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este and Prince Lorenz of Belgium accompanied by TI&RHs Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Elisabetta of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este attended the Roll Back Malaria farewell reception held at Château de Val-Duchesse in Auderghem.
