Farewell to Fabiola

The funeral service of Queen Fabiola who died on December 5th 2014 will be held on December 12th in Brussels. There will be national mourning until then with flags at half mast. The queen's body, which currently rests at her home where she died, will be brought to the Chapel at Laeken on Monday and later her coffin will rest at the Palais de Bruxelles where the people of Belgium will have a chance to pay their last respects on December 10th and 11th.

Queen Fabiola with her husband, King Baudouin

The King and Queen of the Belgians will not carry out any public engagements until after her funeral - their planned agenda is suspended. The King and Queen of Spain as well as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have sent their condolences as have the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg.  And before details of the funeral were even announced, members of the public had been paying their own tributes by leaving flowers and candles at the gates of the Royal Palace in Brussels.