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Belgium

King Philippe congratulates the “King of Flemish song”

King Philippe of the Belgians has congratulated his “colleague” the “King of the Flemish song,” Will Tura, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. As one of the most famous Belgian singers, Will Tura has a special bond with the Belgian Royal Family.

Yesterday, King Philippe sent out a tweet in which he congratulated one of the best-known Belgian vocalists who sings in Dutch, Will Tura. The singer celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. The tweet appeared on the Belgian Royal Palace’s Twitter account and said: “The King of the Flemish song Will Tura turns 80 today! Thank you for your countless hits and your gigantic contribution to the Flemish music. Happy Birthday, Will!” A photo of Will Tura and King Philippe’s uncle, King Baudouin was also attached to the tweet.

The King of the Belgians doesn’t usually congratulate all famous Belgians on their birthdays. Then, why did he do so in the case of Will Tura?

First of all, the famous Flemish singer is marking his 80th birthday. Will Tura has made a remarkable contribution to the Flemish music world, and His Majesty wished to acknowledge this. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the start of his singing career. In other circumstances, the singer would be honoured with festivities in his hometown of Veurne. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebrations were cancelled, and therefore, many other famous singers and King Philippe took to social media to congratulate the singer.

Most importantly, Will Tura has a close bond with the Belgian Royal Family. King Baudouin knew Will personally and received him in an audience. In 1993, King Baudouin’s wife, Queen Fabiola, personally asked Will Tura to sing at her late husband’s state funeral.

Mr Tura later stated that the Queen “wished to hear something hopeful.” He performed the songs “Hoop doet leven” and “Ik mis je zo” (I miss you so much). The performance at King Baudouin’s funeral became one of the most remarkable moments of Will Tura’s career.

In 2014, Will Tura was once again asked by the Belgian Royal Family to sing at a funeral. Will Tura then performed the same song, “Hoop doet leven,” at the funeral of Queen Fabiola of Belgium. It was, without a doubt, the most touching moment of the funeral.

About author

Laura is from Belgium and has a passion for all things royal. She is Europe Correspondent for Royal Central since October 2016 and has contributed to other news websites. In her daily life she is a fulltime student in EU-politics and political communication.