The King and Queen of the Belgians with the King and Queen of Jordan on a lunchtime stroll in Bruges on day two of the State Visit
(photo Queen Rania Instagram)
There were buses, there were bridges and there was a lot of chocolate. The State Visit by the King and Queen of Jordan to Belgium came to an end in Bruges with a chance to see some of the most famous sights in this most famous city. Including chocolate. Royals and chocolate - what's not to love?
The chocolate made its appearance in Bruges - it appears not even the King and Queen of the Belgians can go to Bruges and not eat chocolate. Queen Mathilde and Queen Rania visited a chocolate shop and then stood under its awnings for a photo. It was about as Bruges as you can get with a royal touch to make it even better.
Add in the fact that Mathilde was in sugar pink, with a curly fascinator kind of hat that didn't quite match, and it was about was about as sweet as can be. Thank goodness for Rania's cutting edge monochrome patterned dress with feature shoulders or it might have got a bit too much.
While the two consorts were getting to know ancient Bruges, their husbands were at the port of Zeebrugge getting to know all about maritime technology. The chocolate may well have been more appealing on paper but State Visits are all about trade, business and economic relations so this visit with a focus on sustainable energy was vitally important. Just not as sweet.
#JORoyalVisit Havenbedrijf #Zeebrugge, @FluxysGroup & #BelgianOffshorePlatforms samen voor duurzame energieproductie pic.twitter.com/8lssbBWi5K— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) 19 May 2016
King Philippe and King Abdullah II took the sustainable energy theme so seriously they hopped on a helicopter and headed out to a wind turbines field off the Belgian coast.
King Philippe and King Abdullah on their way to a wind turbines park
(photo Belgian Monarchy Facebook)
Back in Bruges, Mathilde and Rania visited a school which specialises in supporting pupils who don't speak Dutch on arrival. And there was time at an art museum too.
#JORoyalVisit OKAN-school Heilige Familie in #Brugge: onderwijs voor anderstalige nieuwkomers pic.twitter.com/KHAmDms6uH— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) 19 May 2016
In fact it was a morning tour of Bruges for Mathilde and Rania and it included a stint on a bus to see the sights.
Clearly it wasn't all chocolate that morning because once they'd been joined by their husbands in Bruges, it was time to think of lunch. The royals took a walk around the famous bridges first though, just to work up an appetite.
Then it was before off to the Town Hall where there was a big turnout and a staple of State Visits, a visitor's book.
It was also the scenic end to the State Visit which got under way with a family welcome on the night of the 17th and took in a day of events in Brussels as well as a State Dinner yesterday, Short but after all that chocolate, very sweet.
You can read all about all of May's State Visits here.
No comments:
Post a Comment