Belgium

Belgian jurist argues statues of King Leopold II should not stand

Statues of the second King of the Belgians, Leopold II, belong in a museum and not in any public space. That any still exist and that streets are named for the King is a disgrace. So writes the Belgium jurist from a Congolese background Sandrine Efoko in Knack magazine. “The King was responsible for a barbaric rule in Congo for over twenty years. This policy of terror by Leopold II only had…
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BelgiumFeatures

Taking a look at The Royal Order of Leopold

The Order of Leopold is the oldest order of chivalry or knighthood in Belgium having been founded in July 1832, shortly after Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands. It takes its name from King Leopold I, who was the first King of the Belgians and instigated the…
Belgium

Prince Laurent's Twitter account deleted

It was discovered yesterday that Prince Laurent of Belgium’s Twitter account (@Laurent_of_B) had been deleted. Members of the Belgian media made the discovery yesterday morning. Many had wondered if King Philippe had pressured his younger brother to delete his account, but the Belgian Royal Court issued a denial saying to Belgian news Belga, “We also found that Prince Laurent’s…
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BelgiumFeatures

Prince Laurent, l'enfant terrible?

It seems like in every royal family there is a member who cuts corners from time to time. Often it is the result of an exaggeration by the press but sometimes there really are royals who do not feel the need to follow the rules or do not behave like they are expected to. An…
BelgiumEuropean Royals

Queen Paola’s 80th birthday celebrated early and in style

Queen Paola of Belgium’s birthday is actually on 11 September, but she took the opportunity before the summer to get her entire family together. However, in true Prince Laurent style, he was 1.5 hours late and missed the concert and the cutting of the cake. The grand party was held in the Music Chapel Queen Elisabeth in Waterloo where a classical concert took place with 150 guests. Among…
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Belgium

Burger King angers Belgian monarchy

There is trouble brewing between two monarchs; one is the Burger King the other the King of Belgium. Burger King has launched an advertising campaign in Belgium to herald the opening of the chain in the country. The campaign asks Belgians to vote online so they can “crown” the true ruler of the country. Palace spokesman Pierre-Emmanuel De Bauw said, “We told them we were not…
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