For the first time in 7 years, the Golden Tree Procession was held in Bruges, capital of West Flanders Province, on Sunday . The procession celebrates the marriage of Margaret of York, the sister of the English kings Edward IV and Richard III, to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1468. The Golden Tree Procession is a visual and musical spectacle that is usually held only every five years, but due to the pandemic the good folk of Bruges had to wait even longer this time. It involves 1,600 extras, seven large floats and an estimated 10,000 props.
On Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm, the Golden Tree Procession started from the ‘t Zand Square in Bruges. By that time, thousands of spectators were already waiting in rows.
‘I think it is wonderful. It’s a great representation of the cultural heritage of the region and of Bruges. Despite the poor weather, we can enjoy the pageant between the gusts. The floats are stunning. I'm so glad I came’ said one spectator.
For this edition the procession was thoroughly revamped. Changes have been made to the costumes and the floats and the dialogues too were updated.