On the morning of Thursday, January 7, 2016, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium hosted a reception at the Palais Royal in Brussels for members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Belgium.
Photo courtesy of the Belgian royal court
On the afternoon of January 5, 2016, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium held an audience with Belgian table tennis champion and Olympian, Mr. Jean-Michel Saive, at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
Last month — December 3 to be exact — Mr. Saive, who participated in the Olympic Games seven times, announced his retirement from the international sports scene.
Last Wednesday, December 16, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium accompanied by their four children — Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eleonore — attended the Concert de Nöel held at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
Today, the Belgian network, RTL, has uploaded the entire performance on their site for all to enjoy. If you decide to watch the concert you will enjoy a performance of Georg Friedrich Händel’s, Messiah, by the Concert d’Anvers and the Vlaams Radio Koor under the direction of Mr. Bart Van Reyn with soloists from the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth.
On December 24, 2015, the Belgian royal court released a video taped Christmas message from His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium. The video was filmed inside the Palais Royal in Brussels.
Below is a rough translation of His Majesty’s speech.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Christmas holidays and New Year are an opportunity to reaffirm our hope for the future. At the end of the year we are unfortunately marked by the dramatic attacks in Paris and aware of the threats that continue to weigh on us. Beyond the horror that multiplies in various places in Europe and elsewhere, our democracies are facing a triple challenge: to defend, prevent, build. I have full confidence in our ability to carry out this task.
Faced with the threat of terrorism, our authorities have reacted with calm, speed and determination. I wish to pay tribute to all those who are committed and remain more than ever to ensure our safety, prosecute those responsible and prevent further attacks. Recent events have shown how important it is to invest in justice, police, army and intelligence services. I also want to thank you all, and especially the inhabitants of Brussels, for your dignified and responsible behavior during this difficult time.
Ladies and gentlemen,
To defend our society, it is also important not to be intimidated and not divide us. This is what our attackers looking. I am confident that we will remain united, citizens of an open country, where the vast majority of foreign compatriots seized the chances offered to them and share the values of our country. They are the son and daughters of this country. Do not confuse those who abuse their faith with those who practice the universal values of humanity.
Then, it seems important to return to what is the bedrock of our society, what we are absolutely committed: our values and our house rules. This implies that we educate our children to respect the different religions and philosophical convictions. They have in common the desire to give meaning to life, to respect others, to be open to others. Respect for these common rules is zero tolerance in relation to hate speech. It’s fight day after day all forms of stigma and segregation. It is also helping people tempted by fanatical indoctrination to resist.
Finally, I am confident in our ability to build a more harmonious society. I would like for it to speak specifically to you young people, you who have a deep desire to believe in life, believe in yourself and believe in each other. Cultivate this ideal and investing your energy and talents in everything that brings. The harmony of a family, a neighborhood, a town, a region, a country, depends primarily on how we build relationships with each other.
Here is the meaning of life, in projects that recognize a place to another and that allow him to give the best of himself. It is the fanatics who refuse to another the right to think and live differently.
Any project that gives meaning to life is built over time. Build the future, cultivate ties with the generations preceding you. It is in history that we root/respect our values. The fanatics, themselves, want to erase all traces of history.
Finally, I encourage you to engage in dialogue and debate on key issues. Dialogue and debate are at the heart of meeting others as the self-knowledge. Go to the discovery of the other in its culture and its philosophical and religious convictions. Instead of fanaticism, which it refuses any debate.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I know we can overcome the challenges we face today. History has proven that our model is stronger than all fanaticism and all forms of totalitarianism. But we must continue to build together this society more humane and just. The Queen and I and our family wish you a merry Christmas party and a New Year full of joy.
On Thursday, December 17, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium attended a theatre performance of, Histoires is’t Waar!?, in Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium.
This afternoon’s performance was held on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the organization Digital Aktie Kureghem-Stad (MAKS). The organization provides young people the opportunity to develop their acting skills through various projects and performances as well as multimedia training.
On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived at the Design Museum Gent to view the exhibition, Design Derby: België en Nederland 1825-2015.
The exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Design Museum Gent and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam, displays 200 years of design from Belgium and the Netherlands. Over 500 design objects, ranging from intricately engraved silver, glassware and ceramics to contemporary furniture, fashion and graphic design, are exhibited in chronological order and in parallel.
From the Empire through neo-Renaissance to Art Deco and more recent developments such as eco-design and social design the exhibition reveals striking similarities and surprising differences between the two countries. It is the first time that design practices in the Netherlands and Belgium are compared on this scale.
Design Derby: België en Nederland 1825-2015 will be open to the public until March 13, 2016, at the Design Museum Gent.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 16, 2015, Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium accompanied by their four children — Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eleonore — enjoyed a Christmas concert held at the Palais Royal in Brussels.
The royal family and guests listened to Georg Friedrich Händel’s, Messiah, performed by the Concert d’Anvers and the Vlaams Radio Koor under the direction of Mr. Bart Van Reyn with soloists from the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth.
The Royal Correspondent 