This Saturday, December 14, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde made visits to the south of Belgium and Luxembourg, accompanied by Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde meet Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at the American cemetery in Hamm
On December 16, 1944, the Third Reich launched a vast military offensive in the Ardennes, aiming to retake the port of Antwerp in order to interrupt the supply of allied troops. The heroic resistance of the American 101st Airborne Division made it possible to stop the German advance at Bastogne and push the enemy back onto its own territory.
This December 14, 2024, the King and Queen of the Belgians went to the American military cemetery of Hamm, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to commemorate the 80th anniversary of this battle. Grand Duke Henri notably gave a speech at the cemetery, recalling the current tense geopolitical context.
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At the American military cemetery in Hamm, the Belgian royal couple met Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. This cemetery, where American soldiers who perished during the Ardennes offensive during the winter of 1944-1945 rest, is located on the edge of the Luxembourg capital. The famous General Patton is buried there, alongside 5,000 American fighters. This bloody conflict resulted in the loss of more than 82,000 Allied soldiers and 100,000 German soldiers.
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Lunch with cousins at the Grand Ducal Palace of Luxembourg
After this first commemoration of the day, the Belgian royal couple was invited to a private lunch at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg. King Philippe maintains close relations with his first cousin, Grand Duke Henri. The two sovereigns celebrated their respective birthdays at the same time last April.
Read also: King Philippe pays tribute to the soldiers who fell for the Belgian homeland
Ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Ardennes in Bastogne
Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde took charge of Bastogne together. Bastogne, located in the province of Luxembourg in Belgium, is 45 kilometers from Luxembourg city. The Belgian and Luxembourg prime ministers accompanied the sovereigns to attend a commemorative ceremony at the General McAuliffe Monument in Bastogne.
Appearance on the balcony and throwing nuts
The King and Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, then went to Bastigne town hall to meet American veterans. On Thursday, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde had already invited four 99-year-old American veterans to their home.
The royal couple and the grand ducal couple then made an appearance on the balcony of Bastogne town hall. From the balcony, Philippe, Mathilde, Henri and Maria Teresa threw nuts. The throwing of nuts is a custom during commemorations which take place in Bastogne. This tradition refers to the exclamation “Nuts!” », pronounced by General McAuliffe in response to the surrender proposal which had been formulated by the Germans.
To conclude this day of commemorations, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde participated in an official ceremony organized by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister at the Bastogne Espace 23 cultural center.
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