8 June 2023
King Philippe & Queen Mathilde attended Founder's Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement & nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army, the Chelsea Pensioners in London.
On Founder's Day they are reviewed by a member of the British Royal Family, or exceptionnally by a foreign royal. And so, in this case King Philippe acted as Reviewing Officer.
Founder's Day is also known as Oak Apple Day. The story behind the 'Oak Apple' symbolises the future King Charles II's escape after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 when he hid in an oak tree, evading capture by the Parliamentary forces. To this day, the tale is honoured by Chelsea Pensioners sporting oak leaves on their uniforms.
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King Philippe: "This institution is an exemplary expression of the respect that you, the British people, hold for your history and traditions, which you manage to keep alive throughout the ages, in an unparalleled way.
And speaking of history – I’d like to take you back to the close ties that bind the British Royal Family to mine – and to the common history of our countries. In 1816, my ancestor, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, uncle of the future Queen Victoria, married Princess Charlotte of Wales and was destined to become Prince Consort of the United Kingdom. Sadly, Charlotte died a year later, at the age of 21, giving birth to her stillborn son. It was in the wake of this tragic historical setback that Leopold agreed to become the first King of the Belgians, in 1831.
He enjoyed the confidence of the great European powers, and his personal relationship to statesmen such as Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston allowed him to work, from England, for the recognition of Belgium's independence and prepare his accession to the throne."
And speaking of history – I’d like to take you back to the close ties that bind the British Royal Family to mine – and to the common history of our countries. In 1816, my ancestor, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, uncle of the future Queen Victoria, married Princess Charlotte of Wales and was destined to become Prince Consort of the United Kingdom. Sadly, Charlotte died a year later, at the age of 21, giving birth to her stillborn son. It was in the wake of this tragic historical setback that Leopold agreed to become the first King of the Belgians, in 1831.
He enjoyed the confidence of the great European powers, and his personal relationship to statesmen such as Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston allowed him to work, from England, for the recognition of Belgium's independence and prepare his accession to the throne."
"I would like to pay tribute to all those valiant British soldiers who came to our rescue during the First World War, so many of whom rest in peace in Flanders Fields."
"In particular I would like to express our eternal gratitude to all your brave countrymen who liberated us from the Nazi yoke during the Second World War.
Let us also remember that the Belgian Navy and Air Force originate in the Belgian Sections of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Service that were created during the Second World War. And our Para-Commando Regiment was formed from the Belgian volunteers in the Special Air Service Brigade."
Afterwards the Royal Couple spent the evening at Windsor Castle with King Charles & Queen Camilla. They also spent the night there.
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