On June 19, 2012, His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium was at Château de Laeken where he held an audience with the Secretary of State for the Fight Against Social and Tax Fraud, Mr. John Crombez.

Meanwhile in Brussels, His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium attended the 2012 Prix du Fonds Prince Philippe Award ceremony held at the Palais des Academies.

According to the official website for the Belgian monarchy the Prix du Fonds Prince Philippe are presented annually to:

…one or more initiatives stimulating dialogue and exchanges between the three communities of our [Belgium] country. This can be partnerships between organizations from two or more communities or initiative specific to an organization aimed at building bridges between communities.

The winners received a crisp piece of paper with their name on it and a check for 15,000 Euros.  Not bad.   🙂

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And, finally, this evening at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Waterloo, Princess Mathilde of Belgium attended the ceremony Prix de la Fondation Futur 21.  The foundation supports educational, humanitarian and medical projects which “… gives priority to children and young adults.”

Source: La Monarchie Belge

His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium was at the Palais des Académies in Brussels on June 13, 2012, to participate in the 2012 Prix Francqui.  During the ceremony, the king presented the prize to Ms. Conny Aerts, Professor of Astronomy from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

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Meanwhile, Her Majesty Queen Paola was at the Serres Royales de Laeken to present and participate in the Prix Reine Paola 2012.  The prize is “…for education and is awarded annually to a teacher or a group of teachers for the dedication as well as educational achievements…”

Source: La Monarchie Belge

Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan hosted a dinner at the Imperial Palace on June 12, 2012, in honor of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium.

The royal couple are visiting Japan to strengthen economic and bilateral ties between Belgium and Japan.

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Source: La Monarchie Belge and Daylife

On June 12, 2012, His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium held an audience with the Secretary of State for the Modernization of Public Services and the Deputy to the Minister of Finance and Sustainable Development for Public Service, Mr. Hendrik Bogaert.

Later, the king attended the inauguration ceremony for the new location of the “…cultural and learning center…” L’Alliance Française de Bruxelles: Europe à Bruxelles.

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In the evening, His Majesty King Albert II and Queen Paola attended the opera performance of ‘Il Trovatore’ held at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels.

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Source: La Monarchie Belge

On June 11, 2012, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium continued their visit to Japan.  This afternoon, the royal couple met with His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo.

The purpose of the royal couple’s visit to Japan is to strengthen economic and bilateral ties between Belgium and Japan.  The trip was “…organized by the Agency for International Trade in collaboration with the Regional Services of International Trade which includes Awex, Flanders Investment & Trade and Brussels Invest & Export…” according to La Monarchie Belge.

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Source: La Monarchie Belge

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium were in Evere on May 24, 2012, to visit the residential home, Villa Indigo.

Upon their arrival the royal couple were greeted by the management of the home, met with residents, and staff who then gave the prince and princess a private tour of the home.

According to the official website for the home, Villa Indigo offers “… the parents of severely ill children a place to receive support and assistance, relax, and heal…”

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Sources: La Monarchie Belge and Villa Indigo