King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their four children attended the traditional Te Deum mass at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula on Tuesday, 21 July, opening Belgium’s National Day celebrations.
The service, which lasted about 45 minutes, marked the start of the day’s official events in Brussels.
Among those attending were Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the presidents of the Chamber and the Senate, Peter De Roover and Vincent Blondel, as well as several government ministers.
They included Employment and Economy Minister David Clarinval, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Defence Minister Theo Francken.
Several hundred people gathered outside the cathedral to greet the royal family as they emerged after the service.
The King and Queen, accompanied by their four children, spent around 20 minutes meeting members of the public before leaving.
Other members of the royal family also attended Te Deum services elsewhere in the country.
Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz went to St Paul’s Cathedral in Liège, while Prince Laurent and Princess Claire travelled to St Quentin’s Cathedral in Hasselt.
The Te Deum, meaning “God, we praise you” in Latin, is celebrated twice a year in Belgium: on 15 November for King’s Feast Day and on 21 July for Belgian National Day.
The celebrations will continue later in the afternoon with the military and civilian parade, due to begin at 16:00 in the Place des Palais.
The Belgian Party, an evening show attended by the royal family, will start at 21:00 in Cinquantenaire Park, followed by the traditional fireworks display at 23:00.
