On Wednesday, the Belgian government announced that King Philippe is putting his support behind the “Be Heroes” initiative.
The initiative has been created to honour everyday heroes who will be recognised during the National Day ceremonies on the 21st of July.
This will be an occasion to highlight the role ordinary citizens play in the daily life of millions of Belgians and to honour other professions that contribute to the safety and prosperity of the country.
The National Day festivities are traditionally dedicated to celebrate the role played by the armed forces and member of the law enforcement community, like police officers or firefighters.
The Belgian population can nominate any person they deem a hero on the website www.beheroes.be until the 9th of July; 50 winners will be selected to take part in the National Day celebration on Place des Palais in Brussels, and they will participate accompanied by the person who nominated them for the award. Additionally, seven of these pairs will be selected to be granted an audience with His Majesty King Philippe at the Royal Palace in September.
This initiative has the support of the Belgian monarchy, as well as the seal of approval of the Belgian Minister of Interior, Annelies Verlinden.
The initiative was set up by a group of communication experts and aims to promote the so-called “silent heroes”, the people who tirelessly work to keep their communities going without ever receiving praise. The entire “Be Heroes” campaign is run by volunteers.
King Philippe has long been involved in the building of communities around Belgium and celebrating those who make consistent efforts to that aim. He has passed on his love for the Belgian volunteering community onto his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, who, to celebrate her 18th birthday in October of 2019, united a group of 80 young people from different communities all around Belgium.
