October is quickly approaching, and with it, breast cancer awareness month.
Many European royals are patrons of cancer research and awareness associations, and Belgium is no exception.
On Tuesday, 14th September, the Belgian branch of Pink Ribbon launched their 2021 campaign and they did it in the presence of the newest member of the Belgian Royal Family, Princess Delphine. Her Royal Highness has received the commission to design the ribbon for this year’s campaign, because of her previous work as a designer.
She chose to incorporate her Love Line design on the symbol, because, as she explained it, “We are all involved in breast cancer, to listen, to show empathy and patience, to care. ‘Love’ to me means ‘all of us’, and not just the person who is sick”.
The ribbon will be on sale from 20th September in more than 900 stores throughout Belgium for €3. For each ribbon sold, €2 will go to Pink Ribbon to fund their research and awareness campaigns.
Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer in 2020 and is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. Many associations around the world work to raise awareness on self screening and early diagnosis as a means to reduce the impact that a tumour can have on a patient’s health.
Between 2020 and 2021, the Cancer Registry Foundation said that 4% of all breast cancer cases have not been diagnosed because of healthcare facilities have been so overwhelmed in the pandemic that non-urgent checkups and visits have sometimes had to be shelved. There are concerns, too, that patients are worried about going into healthcare institutions which are also dealing with people being treated for coronavirus.
Princess Delphine of Belgium is King Albert II’s daughter from the relationship he had with Baroness Sybille Selys de Longchamp. She has long fought for her recognition as King Albert’s daughter and she was granted the title of Princess of Belgium and the style of Her Royal Highness in October of 2020.
