King Philippe and Queen Mathilde travelled to Verviers to take part in an activity aimed at helping victims of the July floods.
Shortly before their holiday break is about to begin, the King and Queen of the Belgians made their way to the Liège province’s town on Wednesday, 22 December, to assess the situation in an area that was among the most affected by the devastating floods that hit central Europe in the summer.
Their Majesties took part in an activity organised by Caritas Secours, in collaboration with different local entities, to help flood victims celebrate the holidays.
Upon their arrival, the King and Queen listened to a briefing on the situation held by volunteers and officials from Caritas Secours.
Following the briefing, they helped volunteers distribute meal kits for a Christmas meal to all families present for the event. The kit ensures that each family has enough food to prepare a traditional Christmas meal.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde then held an informal meeting with everyone present and listened carefully to each of their stories, talking about how the floods’ impact was devastating, especially because it came on the tails of a year and a half (at the time) of already tough economic repercussion brought along by the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the virus.
Before they left the venue, the King and Queen of the Belgians were delighted by a few Christmas carols, sang by a group of victims and volunteers.
The venue that hosted the event is an old nursing school in Verviers, which over the past few years has been acquired and restored by the Public Society for Water Management in compliance with all the regulations of accurate historical restoration.
Shortly after their return to Brussels, the King and Queen also visited the ICU at the university hospital in Brussels à Jette (UZ Brussels) to thank the staff and medical personnel who has been working tirelessly since the beginning of the global health emergency.
King Philippe is expected to make an address to the nation in his traditional Christmas Eve speech, which is generally pre-recorded and broadcast live on the 24 December around lunchtime.
