All About Royal Families

Each year, around 17 February, the Belgian Royal Family gathered together to remember the deceased relatives. In 2024 this mass took place on February 20th. in the St. Michael and St. Gudula kathedral in Brussels. This was due to the spring holiday.  As always Geert Janssens and Bjorn Hoex were present to great the royals and to take amazing pictures. Following members of the Belgian Royal Family were present: - King Philippe of the Belgians; - Queen Mathilde of the Belgians; - King Albert and Queen Paola of Belgium; - Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium; - Princess Delphine of Belgium and her husband James O’Hare. However there were more royals present in the kathedral: - Princess Lea of Belgium; - Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (born Princess of Luxembourg). After the memorial mass the Belgian Royal Family took their time to meet the public. These pictures were taken by Bjorn Hoex and Geert Janssens. 

On 15 December 1960, in the morning, King Bouduin of Belgium married Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Brussels. Then a ceremony was held at the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.  The witnesses were the groom's father, King Leopold III, his brother-in-law, Jean, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the bride's brother, The Marqués of Casa Riera, and the pretender to the Spanish throne, the Count of Barcelona. The bride's white silk and tulle gown, trimmed with ermine, had a high neckline, three-quarter length sleeves with a drop waist and a full skirt. It was designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga and had a 22-foot long train.  She wore the Art Deco diamond tiara given to her late mother-in-law at the time of her own marriage in 1926. The groom wore the uniform of a Lieutenant-General of the Armed Forces with the riband and star of the Belgian Order of Leopold and the collar of the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic. Royal Gues

Each year on November 15th. King's Feast is celebrated in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. This year there was a special gala concert on November 14th. in the Bozar in  Brussels, for the occasion of 10 years reign of King Philippe.  Two wonderful photographers - Bjorn Hoex and Geert Janssens - traveled to Brussels to attend all the ceremonies. Geert Janssens even could attend the  concert and the plenary session in the Senate. What's going on?  The King's Feast also called in Dutch: Koningsdag and in French: Fête du Roi as in German: Festtag des Königs has been celebrated in Belgium on November 15 since 1866.  Traditionally, a Te Deum is sung as well as a private observance being held. The royals who attedend the Te Deum were: King Albert II of Belgium Queen Paola of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium  Prince Laurent of Belgium 💡 Families/ dynasty King Albert II of Belgium is a member of the House of Belgium with the surname Saxe-Coburg & Gotha.  Queen Paola of Belgiu

Last weekend, we travelled from Brussels (capital of Belgium) to our homeplace Sint-Niklaas by train. While walking into the railway station of Brussels Central, we were thinking how the royal family of Belgium travelled by train. I think they had much more comfort and even special trains. royal trains, Train World museum in Schaarbeek As always, in Brussels Central we passed a special door and the coat of arms suggests that this place has a royal connection.  👀 How do you think about the coat of arms of the Belgian royal family?  This is the entrance of the royal salon in Brussels Central. Once four Belgian railway stations had such a royal salon: Brussels-North, South and Central, and Ostend. The salons in Ostend and Brussels North have disappeared, the one in Brussels South is used as a meeting room.  Only the salon in Brussels Central has retained its original grandeur. History On 4 October 1952 the royal salon in Brussels Central was officially  opened by King Baudouin of Belg

20 August 2003 marks the birth of Gabriel Baudouin Marie Prince of Belgium. This took place at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht.  Family Prince Gabriel is the eldest son and second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He has an elder sister Elisabeth, a younger brother Emmanuel and a younger sister Eléonore. He was christened at Ciergnon Castle, one of the royal family’s summer residences, on 25 October 2003 by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels. His godparents are his maternal uncle Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz (born 1985); and his paternal second cousin, Baroness Maria Christina von Freyberg-Eisenberg. Prince Gabriel is a member of the royal family of Belgium, founded by King Leopold I (born as a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) Prince Gabriel  => King Philippe  =>King Albert II =>King Leopold III  => King Albert I => Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders => King Leopold I Names King Philippe stated in an i

During the state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Belgium, a sense of anticipation filled the air as the two royal couples embarked on a journey to strengthen the bonds between their respective nations.  The visit marked an important milestone in the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium, further solidifying the long-standing friendship between the two neighboring countries. Besides this, both King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe are celebrating this year their tenth anniversary on the throne.  I really looked forward to see lovely pictures from the royals and they didn't let me down.  Picture: Bjorn Hoex State Visit Willem-Alexander/Máxima to Belgium DAY 1 As King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima arrived at the Royal Palace in Brussels, they were warmly welcomed by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.  Pictures made by Bjorn Hoex Then they paid homage to the fallen soldiers of both cou

When Belgium became independent in 1830 from the United Kingdom of The Netherlands - after a revolution - a international compromise was made.  own picture from the Revolution painting Taking at the Fine Arts Museum in Brussels Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, widower of Princess Charlotte of Wales and uncle of Queen Victoria, became the first King of Belgium in 1831. Then, The Netherlands were still struggling with the independence of the Southern Part of their country. In 1894 King Willem III of The Netherlands and Queen Emma visited  Brussels. However During the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium, Queen Wilhelmina refused to visit her neighbors.  In March 1911 she visited Belgium. Enough attention was paid to the arrival of the Dutch Queen.  A driving tour through a short part of Brussels took place. There was a lot of interest on the side. Especially on the market where Queen Wilhelmina and the Belgian King Albert got off at the town hall. Thousands of flags hung on the fa