National Day of Belgium

BELGIUM celebrates its National Day today. It commemorates the swearing of allegiance of Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg to the new Belgian constitution in 1831. Leopold became the first “King of the Belgians” and his vow of allegiance ushered the start of independent state of Belgium under a constitution monarchy and parliament.

The current King of Belgium is His Majesty, King Philippe, who ascended to the throne on July 21, 2013. The duties of the Belgian King include undertaking state visits to represent the country, trade missions to promote its products, and international meetings to foster interest in Belgian society, culture, and enterprise.

As a founding member of the European Union (EU), Belgium fully supports an open economy and strongly believes in the extension of the powers of EU institutions to integrate member economies. The country is home to various international organizations such as the EU’s headquarters and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The country has two major linguistic groups: The Dutch-speakers (Flemish), and the French-speakers (Walloons), plus some German-speakers.

On September 15, 2014, Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III met with His Majesty, King Philippe of Belgium, at the Royal Palace in Brussels. During the meeting, President Aquino conveyed his appreciation for Belgium’s assistance and support in the Yolanda aftermath. He also informed King Philippe about the peace process in Mindanao and invited the Belgian monarch to visit the Philippines once again. King Philippe had led an economic mission to the Philippines in 1996 when he was still Belgium’s Crown Prince.

We congratulate the people and government of Belgium led by His Majesty, King Philippe, and Prime Minister Charles Michel, on the occasion of its National Day.