State visit of TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to the Kingdom of Belgium - First day

The Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Xavier Bettel, the Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, and the Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, are joining the Grand Ducal couple during the three-day State visit. Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth, are also present at various points during the programme.

In addition to high-level political, economic and cultural meetings, the official programme includes company visits to Brussels, Ghent and Liège. As part of this State visit, a large economic delegation, comprising representatives of more than 125 companies active in the sectors of the circular economy, renewable energies, health technologies, finance, tourism, (cyber-)security, defence and space cooperation, is accompanying the Grand Ducal couple.

This is the second State visit to Belgium by TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, reflecting the excellent relations between Luxembourg and Belgium, who are close neighbours united by strong historical, political, socio-economic and cultural ties. In addition to consolidating long-standing partnerships, the State visit also provides an opportunity to highlight new areas of cooperation and to stimulate progress and innovation with the aim of ensuring sustainable growth that respects the environment.

Tuesday 16th April 2024

The official welcome ceremony takes place on the Place des Palais, where TRH the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess are welcomed by TM the King and Queen of the Belgians. After the review of the troops by HRH the Grand Duke and HM the King, and the playing of the national anthems, the delegations are officially presented and gifts are exchanged at the Royal Palace.

The Royal Horse Escort then accompanies the vehicle of TRH the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess on their way from the Royal Palace to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who fell in the First and Second World Wars and the Belgian soldiers who have fallen on peace missions since 1945. HRH the Grand Duke lays a wreath of flowers on the grave and rekindles the eternal flame.

The Grand Ducal couple and the ministerial delegation then head for the Palais de la Nation, the seat of the Belgian federal parliament, which consists of two assemblies: the House of Representatives and the Senate. While at the Palace, the couple meets Stéphanie D'Hose, President of the Senate, and Eliane Tillieux, President of the House of Representatives. After visiting the two hemicycles, the Grand Ducal couple, accompanied by Xavier Bettel and Yuriko Backes, return to the Royal Palace where they meet the Belgian royal couple for lunch.

At Brussels City Hall on the Grand Place, TRH the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess are received by TM the King and Queen of the Belgians and by the Mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close. After a moment of exchange, in the presence of Xavier Bettel, Lex Delles, Yuriko Backes and Gilles Roth, the Grand Ducal couple and the Royal couple, accompanied by the Mayor, greet the population from the balcony of the Town Hall.

In late afternoon, Xavier Bettel, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will hold political talks with his Belgian counterpart, Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Federal Cultural Institutions. The agenda for discussions includes bilateral and cross-border relations, both political and economic, as well as the major issues on the European and international political agenda. The two ministers also sign a memorandum of understanding on the exchange of diplomats.

The first day of the State visit ends with a State banquet hosted by TM the King and Queen of the Belgians in honour of TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess at the Château de Laeken, the Belgian sovereign's main residence, in the presence of Prime Minister Luc Frieden and his wife, Xavier Bettel and his husband, Lex Delles, Yuriko Backes and Gilles Roth.

Press release by the Information and Press Service