According to an announcement made by the Royal Palace, King Albert II of Belgium has finally met with daughter Princess Delphine again after many years. The Belgian Royal house released a photo of King Albert II and his wife Queen Paola meeting with Princess Delphine in their home Castle Belvédère in Laeken on 25 October.
The official announcement was as the following: "On Sunday 25 October a new chapter, rich of emotion, peace of mind, understanding and hope was begun. During our meeting in Castle Belvédère each of us, in serenity and empathy, managed to express their feelings and experiences. After the uproar, the suffering and the injuries, it is now time for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. Together we have decided on this new path. This will take patience and effort, but we are determined. Delphine, Paola and Albert."
Princess Delphine is the daughter of King Albert II of Belgium, who abdicated in his son’s favour in 2013, and Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. The Princess was recognised as King Albert’s daughter after a long legal battle.
A long time overdue. Paola is the hero here. By being in this picture that was released to the public, she is demonstrating her support and approval. I certainly hope this meeting was as warm as it looks to have been and they can build a relationship from here. They look like any family getting together for a relaxed visit. It is very nice to see that there was no formality here. Delphine certainly feels comfortable enough to be herself and dresses accordingly. She can't be wrong since Paola is dressed in much the same way. I can only wish them all the best.
ReplyDelete"Paola is the hero" - absolutely true! What a strong lady she must be!
DeleteI'm emphatise with Queen.
ReplyDeleteShe is not "a hero" because she badly influenced the king during many years !
DeleteI can’t imagine how this meeting went down. The King has been rejecting her for a long time....
ReplyDeleteIt seems so easy to "return his jacket"... when felt appropriate...
DeleteNeither Paola or,Albert were saints during their marriage .
ReplyDeleteGood on all of them and time to be adult about such a difficult situation. Too bad this particular Albert didn't recognize his illegitimate child(ren) right from the start, a lot of heartache and expense might have been avoided. I wonder what Paola has in her bag that she's got it with her while inside her own home. They all look nice & pleasant in the photo. Anyway, all the best to this entire family getting to know each other, moving ahead, and burying the hatchet. ~Laurel~
ReplyDeletePaola has her handbag with her in her own home? Must not have meant to stay long
ReplyDeleteThe handbag;
DeleteJust like a magician, at a certain moment she'll open the bag and the white dove of peace (sorryDNA) will fly out :-))
I asked myself the same question as Arlene...why does the queen have her handbag in her own home? Did she arrive from another residence? Perhaps she was on her way out when Delphine arrived. Interesting.
Delete@Arlene, exactly my impression as I saw that handbag. For me, this meeting is arranged for public damage control by publishing this photography. Which is a legitime measure, but not a demonstration of mutual affection.
Delete(-Ann.)
Fwiw, I think I have seen many photos of Queen Elizabeth carrying her purse in her various residences.
DeleteWell, palaces are big places, maybe it's nice to have the most important items close at hand at all times. :-) QEII also often carries a handbag in her own home when welcoming visitors. Nice to see the reconciliation, though, kudos to Paola!
Delete-Becca
You are right Jane Chantal, I have often seen photos of Queen Elizabeth II carrying her handbag when she is "at home".
Delete... Deadeggs, or she takes some belgian chocolate out? Brings peace also!
DeleteNo DNA test needed, father and daughter look the same.
ReplyDeleteBeth has the right comment, 100% :)
DeleteI don't know what to say other than that I feel for the two women. It must have been painful.
ReplyDeletewow, that's a suprise. I'm happy for Delphine that her hard fight is over and she get's attention from her dad that she deserves.
ReplyDeleteBecause kids are the victims. They didn't choose their parents. They didn't cheat on somebody, it's not their fault but they are the ones, who suffer.
If they can find any way to get a little bit closer to each other, to get a kind of good relationship, that would be nice.
Paola is really a hero. I guess finding out about her husband cheating and having a child with somebody else is usally very hard and hurts a lot.
That she's here at this meeting is a great gesture in my eyes.
Yes, I agree, i can't believe Paola takes part on this meeting and wants to know and accept Delphine. What an extraordinary woman!
DeleteNot to take away from Paola’s graciousness, but a hero? It has been well documents that she had her own affairs while married.....
ReplyDeleteSF
Dear SF. Yes, with all respect to Queen Paola, there are rumors that she had an affair/s outside of the marriage. But little has been spoken of this. Is it just cheap gossip?
DeleteNobody has said much about Mr. Boël. It has been stated that he is a very discreet person.
I wonder how he feels about losing (what he thought was) his only child.
I am very happy for the people who have arrived with happiness in this saga.
But I feel for the people who maybe not feeling so good with the outcome and with having their dirty laundry hung out in a public place.
A family saga with a bitter/sweet ending.
I am adopted and never got to meet either of my birth parents, all l have is their names. Congratulations on all of them to to acknowledge their own story in this their reality, and so public. Each one of them has to open their hearts to accept, forgive and find love for the future relationship. I wish you all happiness
ReplyDeleteYour words are touching me deeply.
DeleteI can imagine how you are feeling inside, but I am sure you are lucky to have two adoptive parents who love you from the bottom of their hearts.
I wish you all the best in your life, you surely deserve it.
Let me send you a big hug, even though we' ve never met personally.
Have a nice day.
Maria
I feel this is a scheduled meeting meant to show some kind of reconciliation among the three of them to the country and the world.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe there are so many good intententions or some kind of feelings between father and daughter in particular.
This takes quite a long time.
Paola is there to show she has accepted the situation in the public eye.
Hard to believe indeed , after all the judiciary battle which went on for so many years.
I agree
DeleteLook at this pic showing Delphine with her mother: https://lifesly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1601926903_914_Belgian-princess-Delphine-speaks-after-she-is-recognized-as-a-royal.jpg - maybe you would like to revise your decision about similarities (I did :-)
ReplyDelete(-Ann.)
I have always thought that Delphine and her mother look nearly identical.
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