King Philippe of the Belgians held an audience with a very special guest at Laeken Castle on Wednesday, 19 October.
The guest in question is 100-year-old Andrée Damon, who celebrated her milestone birthday on 5 September.
However, it is not her age that makes her so special. She is one of Belgium’s last remaining World War II veterans; she took part in the combat operations as a liaison officer for the Comète network.
According to the Belgian Royal Palace, Nadine, as she was known back then, was unfortunately betrayed, and she ended up being arrested and deported to Ravensbrück first and then to Mauthausen, from where she was finally freed in April 1945, at the end of the war.
The Comète network was a structure that helped pilots whose planes were shot out of the sky and ended up in occupied territories to return to Allied-controlled territories. She worked in a network that had a span covering most of western Europe, from Spain to Belgium and France.
Ms Durmon was photographed next to King Philippe sitting in her wheelchair; she was wearing a black coat, a white scarf and a blue and white striped dress, which almost perfectly matched the tie that His Majesty chose for the meeting.
In the picture released by the Royal Palace, the monarch is seen smiling widely, possibly laughing, maybe at the amazing coincidence of their matching outfit choices.
The Belgian Royal Family has long been committed to shining a spotlight on the issues faced by war veterans, as well as remembering their stories.
It was particularly significant that Princess Elisabeth’s first official speech was given in 2014 at an event commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. The entire family was also the host of the celebrations of the centenary of the conclusion of the Great War in 2018.
