Queen Elisabeth of Belgium and her love for Egypt
On November 22, 1922, Howard Carter discovered an undisturbed pharaoh's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile, in Luxor. As soon as the news reached Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, she decided to go there to take part in the opening of Tutankhamun's hypogeum, more than three thousand years after it was sealed, theoretically for eternity.
"I have always been a woman of passions. Some are well known, others less so. One is my passion for ancient Egypt," wrote Elisabeth; she proved it by promptly telegraphing Lord Carnarvon, the financier
of the excavations, to ask if she could join him; permission was of course granted. When the Egyptian authorities learned that the Queen of the Belgians wanted to visit, King Fuad organized her visit with the help of the British High Commissioner, Lord Allenby.
Thus, in mid-February 1923, Sisi's goddaughter boarded at Luxor in the company of her son Leopold, the future king, and his Egyptologist friend Jean Capart, and on February 19, the queen made what was
considered the archaeological discovery of the century. For the occasion she opted for a long white coat with a fur collar... at 35° Celsius; the international press photographers had a field day.
The monarch was overwhelmed with emotion and enthusiasm, so much so that on her return she founded the Queen Elisabeth Egyptological Foundation, which remains one of the richest
Egyptological and papyrological libraries in Europe, if not the world.
2023
From March 14th. 2023 till March 16th. 2023, Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium will bring a visit to Egypt.
The official trip is also a tribute to Queen Elisabeth, whose interest and passion are at the origin of the flourishing of Egyptology in Belgium. The Queen and Princess will visit several places Queen Elisabeth has visited on her missions, including Tutankhamun's tomb. In Cairo they will attend the opening
of an exhibition on Queen Elisabeth and Belgian Egyptology.
With the visit, Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth want to highlight Belgian academic expertise in the field of Egyptology. That is why they will visit a number of archaeological sites where Belgian institutions and universities are active. They will be shown around various sites in and around
Luxor by Belgian Egyptologists, professors and students.
The working visit is part of the various anniversaries that will be commemorated in 2022 and 2023, including the 200th anniversary of the decipherment of hieroglyphics by Jean-François Champollion. But also the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the presence of Queen Elisabeth. Just like the 125th anniversary of the origin of Belgian Egyptology. And finally the 75th anniversary
of the death of the Belgian Egyptologist Jean Capart.
Love for Egypt
It is not the first time that Queen Mathilde has traveled to Egypt. As an 18-year-old, she worked as a volunteer in the slums of Cairo. And she also stayed in the country during her honeymoon with
King Philippe.
In 2019, the royal couple took their children to Egypt for the first time, where they spent the end of the year period. The royal family visited the dam on the Nile, the Philae temple, the unfinished obelisk,
the temple of Kom Ombo and that of Edfu, among others. During their three-day trip, they also made a trip to Luxor, 200 kilometers to the north.
It's very nice to see how history takes a place in the present due to the interests of Queen Mathilde and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.
Egypt and me
So I hope, Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth will have some time between the engagements in to see this part of the country too.
On Sunday 12 March 2023, the Belgian royal palace shared these pictures on their social media accounts:
The Royal Palace also made a beautiful photo collection and a comparison with the past and the present.
in Egypt. Tweet by Wim Dehandschutter
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