King Filip sups while Brussels is in grip of terror alert
While the Belgian capital was in lockdown and the people of Brussels were digesting the news of a likely terrorist outrage on the streets of their city, King Filip was pictured in his dressing gown enjoying the good life at a spa abroad.
The Belgian monarch featured extensively in the French and Dutch media on Tuesday after it emerged that when the terror threat alert level in Brussels was raised to 4, the highest level, the king and queen were undergoing a wellness treatment and relaxing in Brittany.
Joris van Poppel of the Dutch news service NOS reported: "The Belgian king risks great damage to his reputation. This was private time, but the timing was very poor."
French publications too poke fun of the Belgian king's behaviour. The satirical journal “Le Canard enchainé" publishes a photo of King Filip in dressing gown. It reports the king and queen were going under an assumed name. The king sips a cocktail, while the palace insists it is monitoring the situation hour by hour.
King Filip today responded to the media storm saying it's a futility compared to the suffering of Paris and Bamako. The king also notes that he has spent time with relatives of the victims.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Michel has been helpful by stressing he kept the king abreast of developments in Belgium on a permanent basis.