A new king and an old tradition

It had to happen. King Philippe of the Belgians has made it to almost three months into his reign before being photographed in an unusual hat.  The new monarch on the block was on a visit to Namur today when he was snapped in a traditional students' cap presented to him by some of the local university's pupils.

 

Where did you get that hat?  There was no crown for Philippe on the day he became king of the Belgians but almost three months on, we finally get to see him with some headgear

 

The hat, a calotte, is traditionally worn in Belgian universities and the red top she shows that the cap came from Namur.  The king looked almost comfortable wearing it and managed what can only be described as a semi smile but he'll have to get used to being snapped wearing strange and wonderful items of clothing.  All he has to do is ask any of the other kings and queens of Europe and they'll tell him, no doubt loudly and with lots of strange and wonderful examples of their own, that once you become a crowned head there's no end of people wanting to crown you with even stranger things as you visit factories, univerisities, shops, schools.....that almost smile will get more relaxed as the king gets used to it.