look back at the princess’s mission to Brazil in 5 selected moments

These are the five photos that the Royal Blog has selected for you from the six days that Princess Astrid of Belgium spent on Brazilian soil making 35 meetings, from Sunday 24 to Friday 29 November 2024, as part of the economic mission that she presided over in this South American country, on behalf of her brother King Philippe.

A handshake with an XXL Smurfette

When Belgium goes abroad to boast of its commercial, academic and cultural assets abroad, it is rare that it forgets to take its most legendary comic book characters with it in its luggage. In Brazil, it was the friendly Papa Smurf and the delicious Smurfette who were on the trip.

The rest after this ad

On the morning of the second day of her presence in Sao Paulo, when she had on her program the very serious plenary session of the joint opening of a seminar on the industrial bioeconomy and sustainable agriculture, as well as participation in a panel on the challenges of universal access to quality health care in Brazil, Princess Astrid found herself face to face with the one who makes the hearts of all her fellow blues beat – including the grumpy Smurf -, but in version XXL.

Nothing to do with little Smurfette as tall as three apples born under Peyo’s pencil. The one who shook the hand of the sovereign’s sister was as tall as her.

A speech mixing family memories and Mercosur

The following evening, still in Sao Paulo, the official reception of this economic mission was held, coupled with the signing ceremony of the contracts signed on this occasion between Belgians and Brazilians. Princess Astrid – who had worn an elegant long dress with sleeves adorned with ostrich feathers – then went up to the podium to deliver a speech.

Speech in which Mercosur was discussed, as reported by the Belgian press. Assuring that the year 2024 represents a “crucial opportunity” to conclude this agreement between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, she insisted that “as in any partnership, clear rules are needed, respecting production standards and certain prices,” reported the daily “L’Avenir”.

Noting that the potential of such an agreement is gigantic, she was careful to assert: “but there are obviously challenges to overcome, in agriculture, with different production standards, and in customs tariffs”. Difficulties for which she said she was confident in overcoming them, “with the help of dialogue and mutual understanding”.

During this speech, Princess Astrid also went back in time more than a century, recalling that King Albert I and Queen Consort Elizabeth had come to this country in 1920. “The travels of my great-grands- “parents testified to their spirit of openness and their desire to establish solid links with economic and strategic partners like Brazil,” she declared, according to comments quoted by the Belgian daily, while behind her was projected a photo of King Albert I in a swimsuit, on Copacabana beach.

A pilgrimage to the Rio Botanical Garden

Two days later, the princess’s ancestors were again on her schedule, but this time in Rio de Janeiro. Following in the footsteps of King Albert I and Queen Elizabeth, she visited the Botanical Garden created in 1808 by the King of Portugal, Joao VI.

If this visit was intended to highlight the collaboration between Brazil and Belgium in particular in terms of research on pollination, as specified by “La Derniere Heure”, it also allowed Astrid to see the native trees that had were invited to plant both his great-grandparents in 1920, and his grandfather the former king Leopold III in 1962, eleven years after having abdicated in favor of his eldest son Baudouin.

Armed with her cell phone, the sister of King Philippe and Prince Laurent took the time to photograph the plaques testifying to these royal origins to share them, no doubt, with her family.

One of the new seven wonders of the world in the spotlight

It is, without a doubt, the most famous monument in Brazil. On November 28, Princess Astrid was at the foot of Christ the Redeemer which stands atop Corcovado Hill overlooking Rio Bay.

Designated in 2007 as one of the seven new wonders of the world, this monumental statue, 38 m high, was that evening the star of the economic mission led by the daughter of the ex-king Albert II and the ex-Queen Paola. It was the support for a video mapping – immortalized using drones – which aimed to celebrate Franco-Belgian friendship, while showing Belgium’s know-how in new technologies.

“Four projectors of 20,000 lumens each dressed the statue with landscapes and textures symbolizing the two countries, such as the tropical vegetation of the Amazon Forest or the curved line patterns typical of the Art Nouveau aesthetic,” we can say. read on the Belgian Prime Minister’s website. Without forgetting to adorn the famous Brazilian Christ with the colors of the Flat Country flag… for a few moments.

And a little video game to finish

Looking at his face, you wonder what happened to him. Controller in hand, Princess Astrid appears as surprised as she is annoyed while her eyes are glued to the computer screen.

This scene happened during the “gaming” session organized by the Walloon Video Games Association (Walga) which, this Friday, November 29 afternoon, concluded its Brazilian program. There she tested the Nebelmer game imagined by eight Belgian students, reported “La Libre”. The media specified that it “is an exploration game, without combat, which stimulates curiosity”.

He added that while there are university courses in video games in Belgium, the country does not have enough studio companies to allow students to do internships, while opportunities present themselves in Brazil.