A year after severe flooding which caused the death of up to 41 people, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were in Limbourg with Prime Minister Alexander de Croo to commemorate these deaths.
The royal couple's visit began in Limbourg at 09:30, when they met with affected shopkeepers, emergency services, and municipal officials near the town hall.
Because of its proximity to the Vesdre River, which had its banks burst, Limbourg was severely impacted by the floods last year.
The visit then proceeded to Place Léon d'Andrimont in the heart of Dolhain, where they were greeted by a crowd of about a hundred people. The sovereigns met with disaster victims from the region and listened to their personal stories.
Finally, the they travelled to Chênée, in the province of Liège, to attend the Walloon Region's official commemorative ceremony.
Planned since the end of June, the ceremony was part of a national tribute to flood victims on July 14.
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During the ceremony, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo expressed his condolences to all flood victims near the Vesdre River, regardless of whether they had lost their homes or a loved one.
"A year ago, the inhabitants of the most beautiful valley in the world discovered hell," he said in his speech, "and we have seen the havoc that nature can wreak if we do not act."
As the Prime Minister has repeatedly alluded to the current climate emergency and its role in this natural disaster, it is now up to his government to accelerate its actions, with certain regions already preparing a potential flood response.
De Croo concluded his speech by saying, "the Vesdre, Ourthe, and Meuse have seen the birth of heroes."
He told the story of Ben and Rosa, two teenagers. When their scout camp was flooded, Ben held Rosa with all his strength as she was being swept away. Tragically, she dropped from his arms and her body was discovered three days later.
