National Day With 130,000 subjects

The few drops of rain that showered Brussels on Monday afternoon hardly disrupted the festivities organized to mark the tenth anniversary of King Albert II's reign and National Day. The concert at Place Poelaert, in front of the Law Courts, was the climax, as 130,000 people cheered the orchestra and Belgian singers, from Annie Cordy to Toots Thielemans, including Sandra Kim, Philippe Lafontaine, and Urban Trad, or entertainers like Sttellla. King Albert II and Queen Paola attended the concert with the entire royal family, and the sovereigns wished to thank the government, the organizers, and the public. Queen Paola kissed him tenderly, as if to signal her endorsement of the brief message addressed to the crowd. Everyone then admired the fireworks display at Place des Palais, which brought to life the key moments of Albert II's reign for about twenty minutes. Furthermore, seven thousand people visited the Federal Parliament on Monday, where Speaker Herman De Croo welcomed visitors. The Red Cross intervened mainly for cases of dehydration and feeling unwell. Twenty of the roughly 200 cases resulted in hospital evacuations. Given the crowd in front of the Law Courts, access to Place Poelaert was closed at 10:30 p.m. to prevent overcrowding. The parade numbers were equally impressive: 600 roller-skating fans, 1,100 cycling enthusiasts, and 20,000 motorcycle enthusiasts covered about twenty kilometers through Brussels, warmed up respectively by Prince Laurent, Prince Philippe, and the King himself. Finally, 14,000 people attended the popular ball on Sunday evening at Place du Jeu de Balle. Around 1,100 police officers were deployed over the two days, and no major incidents were reported.