Filip, King of Belgians, was among the dignitaries invited to attend the opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, as was Belgian premier Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist). Belgian construction company Besix served as one of the main contractors in the building of the museum. (Report: Joris Vergeyle)
Archaeology runs in the veins of the royal house of Belgium. The king’s great-grandmother, Queen Elisabeth visited the tomb of Pharoah Tutankhamun when it was first opened and the king’s grandfather, King Leopold, was an amateur archaeologist. Today’s royal couple too are highly interested in archaeology and both the king and Queen Mathide have visited many archaeological sites. King Filip received a sneak preview of the Grand Egyptian Museum but also visited the important archaeological site at Saqqara.
