King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians are getting into the Olympic spirit this week as they have held video calls with Belgian athletes in Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games.
The King and Queen held several video calls in the Royal Palace of Brussels on Thursday to wish the Belgian athletes representing the kingdom good luck in the Olympic Games.
Their Majesties spoke to Ben Broeders, pole vaulting; Jaouad Achab, taekwondo; and Nina Sterckx, weightlifting, to discuss the Tokyo games.
The Belgian Royal Palace shared several images from the calls on Instagram and Twitter, saying: “Good luck to all athletes at the Tokyo Olympics! Go Team Belgium!”
Normally, royals from across the globe attend the Olympic Games; however, due to the current global health emergency, most royals are remaining in their home countries. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who is stepping back from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was due to travel to Japan, but exposure to the virus prevented his trip. Royals from Jordan and Saudi Arabia did make the trip to attend IOC meetings.
The Princess Royal is a member of the IOC and remained in the UK for the Games, but she recorded a video message to wish all British athletes good luck. Princess Anne said: “This is your Olympics. It will be different, but not in its importance to you. Savour it, and above all, enjoy it.”
The Opening Ceremony is today, and the Closing Ceremony is on 8 August.
