King Albert led national celebrations Tuesday marking Belgium's 179th birthday amid tight security due to a death threat against Queen Fabiola.
Thousands gathered in the royal quarter in front of the palace to watch the traditional military parade, despite the stringent security measures.
Interior Ministry officials said extra checks and measures were being taken because of a threat made against Queen Fabiola in May and a failed attack on the Dutch royal family in April.
Albert his wife, Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Philip, Princess Mathilde and other members of the royal family sat with government leaders sat in the royal viewing stand as veterans, tanks and the King's horse guard passed by to mark Belgium's National Day.
Sixteen F-16 fighter jets, some streaming the country's red, yellow and black colours, flew overhead. Extra police officers were posted at subway stations and police helicopters flew over the capital city. Heavy police trucks also were used as road blocks to prevent cars from accessing the royal quarter.
Belgian authorities had warned prior to Tuesday that they would take no risks with the safety of the king and other royals after a man plowed his car into a crowd in April in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn in a failed attack on the Dutch royal family. Eight people died in the attack.
"We were forced to take extra security measures after the events in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, and the threat made against Queen Fabiola", Eddy Van den Bussche, protocol chief at the Interior Ministry, told VRT Television. © GPD AP
Comments