His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium attended a presentation and conference with young entrepreneurs on May 11, 2012 in Brussels.  The theme of today’s event: Financing Growth and Risk management Strategies.

In the afternoon, Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde attended the exhibition The Golden Age of China: Treasures of the Tang Dynasty (610-907 A.D.) in Maaseik. This unique exhibition was developed in collaboration with the Musea Maaseik and the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands.

For more information about the exhibition please click here. (in English.)

Click here to view photos.

Source: La Monarchie Belge and Degoudeneeuwvanchina.be

On May 10, 2012, His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium visited the European Council, in the Justus Lipsius building, in Brussels. Whilst there the king met with Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the EC.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty Queen Paola visited the Centre for Palliative Care to celebrate their 25th anniversary and “… the 15th anniversary of the Palliative Care Unit and the 10th anniversary of Heidehuis, three sections of the network of palliative ‘Noord West – Vlaanderen.'”

Click here to view photos.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

While Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium were having a fabulous time in Turnhout, His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium spent the day at Château de Laeken on May 9, 2012.

His Majesty held audiences with ambassadors from South Korea, Poland, Serbia who presented their Lettres de Créance (Letters of Credence) to the king and then posed for photos.

Meanwhile, Princess Astrid of Belgium was in Liège where she visited the non-profit project organization, Caritas Secours Francophone.  The organization’s mission is to “… help the homeless and those dealing with severe financial difficulties” according to the Belgian royal court.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On the morning of May 9, 2012, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited Turnhout, which is also known as the Culture City of Flanders, to celebrate the city’s 800th anniversary.

The royal couple began their day with a visit to a “… socio-educational project that combines nature, culture and social integration…” held at the Klein Engelandhoeve.

Soon, they visited an exhibition Turnhout Terminus Turnhout Centraal held at the Taxandria Museum. Afterward, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde attended a reception held in their honor at the Turnhout City Hall where the royal couple mingled with local dignitaries and other special guests.

At the end of the day, the prince and princess met with “…with the inhabitants on the recently revamped Grote Markt, laureate of the prize ‘ Public Space ‘ 2011.”

For more information about Klein Engelandhoeve and the Taxandria Museum please visit their official websites here and here.

Click the links below to watch a video as well as to view photos.

• VIDEO
• Gallery One

Sources: La Monacrhie Belge and Nieuwsblad,

Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium was at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels this afternoon to participate in the 5ième édition des Assises de la Coopération Belge au Développement (5th Edition of the Foundations of the Belgian Development Cooperation) conference.

The theme of today’s opening session focused on the “…consistency of policies for development.”  According to the Belgian royal court, Princess Mathilde gave a lengthy speech which:

… emphasized the importance of the health and education sectors and the economic role of rural women in the agricultural sector and the food supply.

Click here to view photos.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On Monday, May 7, 2012, His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium was at the Université Libre de Bruxelles to attend the inaugural lecture of the Chaire Internationale d’Histoire de la seconde Guerre Mondiale (International Chair of History of the Second World War) as well as to participate in presenting the Prix Baron Velge 2012 (Baron Velge Prize 2012).

According to the official website for the Université Libre de Bruxelles the International Chair of History of the Second World War is:

…organized by the faculty of Philosophy and Letters through the generosity of the late Baron Jean-Charles Velge who died on May 29, 2010, to honor the memory of Mr. Jean Vanwelkenhuyzen, a historian of the Second World War.  Each year a researcher is invited to come to the University to give a series of lectures to students and faculty about the Second World War...source

The recipient of the Prix Baron Velge 2012 goes to author and Yale University professor of History, Mr. Timothy Snyder.  In 2010, Professor Snyder published the critically acclaimed book, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin.  Afterward, the professor will give a series of lectures at the Université Libre de Bruxelles until May 11, 2012.

Click here to view photos.

Sources: La Monarchie Belge and Université Libre de Bruxelles