Off the wire
• 50 aircraft to participate in Singapore's National Day Parade  • Major news items in leading German newspapers  • Gold price closes up in Hong Kong  • (Recast) Church in Israel badly damaged in suspected arson by Jewish zealots  • China, Russia boost investment, financial cooperation  • Caribbean gathering focuses on joint approach to boost growth  • Singapore stocks close 0.77 pct lower  • Church in Israel badly damaged in suspected arson by Jewish zealots  • Feature: I never have and never will sing Japan's national anthem, says prominent university professor  • Philippine, U.S. troops to hold naval drill  
You are here: 　 Home

Belgian king attends opening of Waterloo commemorations

Xinhua, June 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo were attended by King Philippe of Belgium on Thursday morning.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde attended an official ceremony that began a weekend of events marking the battle that took place on June 18, 1815.

Around 200,000 people are expected to take part in the events, which take place in Waterloo, just south of Brussels, over the weekend.

The opening ceremony began on Thursday at the ceremonial Lion Mound at the battle site. As well as the Belgian King and Queen, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were also in attendance.

Events will continue until Sunday. Around 5,000 people in period costume will be camped-out during the commemoration in recreation of the conditions of the time. There will also be re-enactments of the battle itself, as well as pyrotechnic displays.

The Battle of Waterloo took place on June 18, 1815. It is considered to be one of the most decisive battles in European history, and saw the final defeat of the Emperor Napoleon by an army commanded by Britain's Duke of Wellington. Endit