FPS Chancellery of the Prime Minister

As it does every year, the Royal Palace in Brussels will be opening its doors to the general public over the summer for a new exhibition on the theme of Science and Culture at the Palace. So why not take the chance to look around this fabled location free of charge and learn more about the insect kingdom?

On Thursday, 18 June 2015, an official Belgian federal government ceremony to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo will be held at the Lion's Mound monument on the battle site. Please find attached the procedure to follow to obtain the accreditation needed for access to the various press zones for this event.

On 28 October, Belgium will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Yser and the First Battle of Ypres in Nieuwpoort and Ypres, with ceremonies attended by the King and Queen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and numerous foreign heads of state and government. This solemn official event, and the symbolic artistic and lyrical performances accompanying it, will be themed around the refusal to surrender, the flooding of the Yser plain, and honouring Belgium’s Soldier King. Belgium...

The Royal Palace in Brussels will be opening its doors to the general public again this summer, as it does every year. The theme chosen this time round is Science and Culture at the Palace. So why not take the chance to look around this fabled location free of charge and learn more about the life of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the focus of this summer’s exhibition?

The First World War (1914-18) transformed the history of Belgium and the world. During this conflict, which saw dozens of countries fighting on Belgian soil, the courage shown by the Belgian people had a mobilising effect for others and bore witness to the importance of international cooperation. Although the last of those to have lived through the hostilities are no longer with us, this war remains etched in Belgium's collective memory.

Meet the new King of the Belgians on this extra-special Belgian National Day! You can join in with the festivities on Place du Luxembourg in Brussels, where you can follow all the ceremonies live on a big screen just in front of the European Parliament from 8.30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

The final schedule for the ceremonies has now been drawn up, following the latest meeting of the 21 July Task Force.

The Chancellery of the Prime Minister released a new version of the promotional film "Belgium… beyond expectations" today. This film, which is intended to promote Belgium abroad, was produced in close cooperation with FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Economy. There are two versions of the film: one for the general public (duration: 4'51") and one for the businesspeople who interact with various sectors of the Belgian economy (duration: 6'08").

Sunday, 27 January is the date set for the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. In its present capacity as holder of the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Belgium specifically intends to comply with the duty to honour the memory of the victims of this cruel genocide. The United Nations has chosen for this year's observance of the Day of Commemoration the theme of Rescue during the Holocaust: the courage to care.