Video highlights: Philippe becomes new Belgian king – BBC News

July 22, 2013

According to BBC News:

The Oxford- and Stanford-educated, trained air force pilot took the oath as the country’s seventh king in a ceremony in parliament.

To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution.

In a colourful ceremony topped off by trumpet fanfare and cannon-fire, Philippe took his oath in the country’s three official languages – Dutch, French and German.

Tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French communities sometimes run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating frequent political instability.

Respect for the royal family, though, is one of the few factors that crosses the communal divide.

To read the entire article on BBC News, please click here.

Video Highlights:

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