The Royal Correspondent

It was announced by the Belgian royal court that His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium will attend the funeral of playwright and Czech ex-president Vaclav Havel on Friday, December 23, 2011 in Prague.

Held at the historic Saint Vitus Cathedral the state funeral will also be attended by His Royal Highness Prince Willem-Alexander of Oranje, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, United States Secretary Hillary Clinton, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Israeli President Shimon Peres.

One week after the horrific attacks on the Place Saint-Lambert in Leige, Belgium more than 3,000 people, along with Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, attended a remembrance ceremony in the square where shooter, Nordine Amrami, killed six people and injured 125.

Also, in attendance where the victims families, politicians including Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo, and Interior Minister, Joëlle Milquet.  After three minutes of silence honoring the victims Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde laid flowers in the square then spoke with the victims families.

To view photos please click the links below:

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On December 15, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium attended a conference on logistics in the area of the Belgian-Dutch Delta, held at the Provincial House in Antwerp.  Also in attendance was H.R.H. Prince Willem-Alexander of Oranje.

During the conference the heirs to the Belgian and Dutch thrones participated in a working lunch with top officials in the port economy in the Belgian-Dutch Delta.  This conference is the result of a first cross-border meeting, held in December 2010, in Hoeven, Netherlands. These conferences are a joint initiative and a common organization of the provinces of Noord-Brabant (Netherlands), Antwerp and the Benelux Union.

To view photos please click here. 

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On December 14, 2011, T.R.H.s Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium were at Liege University Hospital to visit the victims of the shooting rampage that took place earlier this week.  After spending time with the victims and their families the future king and queen of Belgium signed the book of condolences at the city hall.

To view photos please click here.

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/Reuters

On December 13, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe attended an academic session held at the new Viviqua headquarters in Brussels. The session was organized on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Viviqua building, and the 120th anniversary of the company which produces and distributes drinking water. Prince Philippe also participated in a workshop with employees and stakeholders from Viviqua.

 Meanwhile, H.R.H. Princess Mathilde was in Gedinne where she was greeted by the governor of the province, Denis Mathen, and other local dignitaries.  During her one-day tour the princess visited a community center, a second-hand shop, and participated in two educational workshops entitled, Little Reporters and Arts and Wood. 

Source La Monarchie Belge

On December 3, 2011, H.R.H. Prince of Belgium, along with his business delegation, arrived in Chile for  a five-day economic trade mission.  The mission is organized by he Agency for Foreign Trade in collaboration with the regional trade AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and Brussels Invest Export.

Meanwhile, H.R.H. Princess Mathilde attended the National Info-Families (JNIF), in Quartier Militaire Major Housiau, where she meet with families and relatives of Belgian soldiers who are involved with peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and other countries around the world.

To watch a video as well as to view photos please click the links below:

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Source: La Monarchie Belge

Photo courtesy of: Zimbio/M.Renders

On December 1, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium attended the closing ceremony of the Internationale de la Chimie 2011 (International Year of Chemistry 2011) in Brussels.

The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Chemistry by the United Nations to mark the centenary of the Nobel Prize for Marie Curie.  Tonight’s closing ceremony coincides without he 100th anniversary of the first Solvay Physics Council, which is also being celebrated this year in Brussels.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On November 17, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium attended the 130th anniversary of the newspaper, L’Echo, in Brussels.  During the celebration banquet there were discussions regarding economic affairs and so forth.  There was also a lecture from Mr. Gerard Mesrallet entitled, Belgium: At the Crossroads in its Economic History and Energy: A Major Issue of Economic Growth.  Click here to view photos.

Fascinating.

Meanwhile, H.R.H. Princess Astrid attended the 50th anniversary of the Social Space Tele-Service held at the headquarters of the European Social TV service in Brussels.  This association aims to help those in need.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On November 16, 2011, T.R.H.s Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited the province of Luxembourg.  The royal couple’s first stop was the Ferme du Monceau (Monceau Farm) in Vaux-sur-Sure and then they visited the transport company, Charlier. In the afternoon, the prince and princess travelled to the town of Neufchâteau where they attended a reception at the City Hall in their honor. Upon leaving the City Hall hundreds the royal couple mingled with hundreds of locals who where waiting for the royal couple outside.

To watch videos as well as to view photos please click the links below:

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Source: La Monarchie Belge

Photo courtesy of: Zimbio/M.Renders

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium are currently in China on an economic mission along a large Belgian business delegation.  The purpose of this important trip: To support Belgian exports and encourage the signing of new contracts “… despite the crisis that has hit many markets around the world…” said the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steven Vanackere, in a press conference.

According to the Belgian online newspaper, RTL, this is the fourth trade mission organized with China which began back in to 2000.  Mr. Vanackere hopes that during this economic mission that at least forty new contracts will be signed in various sectors such as transport and logistics, clean technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, information technologies and communication, and in the diamond sector which trade relations already exist between China and Antwerp, Belgium.

This afternoon in Beijing H.R.H. Prince Philippe met with Deputy Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Wang Qishan while H.R.H. Princess Mathilde visited the Beijing Dance Academy.

To view photos please click here.

Source: RTL

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium are currently in China on an economic mission with the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Agency for Foreign Trade in collaboration with the regional trade AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and others.  The delegation will spend nine days in China and will visit six cities which include Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Gungzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

On September 29, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium attended the inauguration of two environmentally friendly production units by the company Floridienne Chemistry in Ath. The company, founded in 1898, is particularly active in the production and recycling of metals as well as other stuff that mostly like will not interest you.

Kidding.  🙂

According to the Belgian newspaper, RTBF , these new production units cost over 40 million Euros and is more green in its design than ever before.  Great.

As for Princess Mathilde of Belgium, she was Sint-Jan-in-Eremo in East Flanders this evening where is attended an academic session to celebrate of 25 years of “Plattelandklassen”:

This session took place in the provincial sports center ‘De Boerekreek’ in Sint-Jan-in-Eremo.  This form of rural and agricultural education puts the youth in contact with the modern agriculture and horticulture. source

To view photos from both events please click the links below:

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On September 21, 2011, Their Royal Highness Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited the town of Zwalm this afternoon.  During their day trip the royal couple met with local dignitaries, viewed the art exhibit, Art & Zwalm, and visited a care center.  To view photos please click here and here.