According to AFP:
Belgium’s newly-crowned royals, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, faced a crowd of separatist hecklers on their first foray into the rebellious port city of Antwerp on Friday.
Though several hundred people lined up to greet Philippe…an equally big crowd of republican separatists massed nearby shouting “Death to Belgium” and waving the Flemish flag.
Antwerp…is home to the powerful Flemish separatist N-VA party whose leader Bart De Wever won election as city mayor last year.
“I’m a democrat and therefore republican,” De Wever said on RTL-TV1 television on Friday.
The separatist leader…nonetheless wished the royals “a warm welcome” at city hall.
To read the entire article from AFP, please click here.
Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wave to the crowds in Brussels after Philippe’s swearing in as new Belgian monarch. Photo by Michael Thaidigsmann
