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Trains fit for a king

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Old Oct 16th, 2019 | 10:59 AM
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Trains fit for a king

The king and the queen of Belgium just took the train to Luxembourg instead of flying.

Nice!

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/10...aar-luxemburg/
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Old Oct 16th, 2019 | 11:22 AM
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Good for them, but it isn't unusual for royals to take the train.
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Old Oct 20th, 2019 | 10:47 AM
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And they were just visiting the family.
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Old Oct 20th, 2019 | 11:45 AM
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I think the retired King of Belgium has an illegitimate daughter.

Cousin Muffy went to some funeral recently, maybe the funeral of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and people were talking about it covertly. She said the ex-king looked terrible and could barely walk with a cane. The ex-queen looked even worse.

Muffy latched on to some adoptive daughter of one of the Bonapartes and she knew a lot of gossip.🤣

Thin,aristocrat 🔪
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Old Oct 20th, 2019 | 12:18 PM
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He had a long affair with Sybille de Selys Longchamps and one of her daughters claims to be his child. Her mother supports the claim.
He is 85 now and never been very healthy, so it is no wonder he uses a stick. Paola is 82.
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Old Oct 20th, 2019 | 06:44 PM
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Yes, that's it. The mother is a baroness I think.

The funeral was Grand Duke Jean. Muffy said it was a terrible day, rainy and cold, windy. Princess Anne was there with the Brenda's cousin, the one whose mother was Ann of Denmark by the second husband. I think her father was the Earl of Litchfield. Lady Elizabeth Something.

The Count of Paris and the Bonapartes, also the Prince of the Two Sicilies sat near Muffy and Princess Desiree and just spilled lots of gossip.

Thin,aristocrat 🐦

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Old Oct 20th, 2019 | 09:31 PM
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There is no doubt among Belgians that she is his daughter. King Albert's refusal to comply with court orders to give his DNA has led to plummeting support for him and his wife.
If the girl is not your daughter, then just give your DNA to proof it. How hard can that be?
Also he whines about his allowance, from his mansion in the Provence where he spends most his time.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 02:12 AM
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I like that, Royal families trying to stay normal. It happens a lot in Europe.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 02:53 AM
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Hah! there's normal and there's normal. No Royals are truly normal, no matter whther they take a train or ride a bike.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 03:05 AM
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I think it's great when they show good example to their subjects.

There are lots of snobs out there who would not be seen dead on a train, thinking that trains are only for the plebs(never mind the 1st class). If they change their mind about train travel(at least give it a try) that's a small step in the good direction.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 09:50 PM
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Originally Posted by BDKR
I think it's great when they show good example to their subjects.

There are lots of snobs out there who would not be seen dead on a train, thinking that trains are only for the plebs(never mind the 1st class). If they change their mind about train travel(at least give it a try) that's a small step in the good direction.
What an odd comment. Who are these snobs? Not anyone I know.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted by hetismij2
Hah! there's normal and there's normal. No Royals are truly normal, no matter whther they take a train or ride a bike.
More interesting to me is the fact that members of the Luxembourg Ducal family sat in on a conference on Israel's occupation policy and BDS as valid non-violent action.
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Old Oct 21st, 2019 | 11:47 PM
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"What an odd comment. Who are these snobs? Not anyone I know."

If these don't exist in Belgium, than good for you.

This type of people certainly exist even in Germany and are quite numerous in Eastern Europe. They think trains are only for losers, normal people drive a car or fly.

"More interesting to me is the fact that members of the Luxembourg Ducal family sat in on a conference on Israel's occupation policy and BDS as valid non-violent action."

Interesting it may be, but what does their opinion matter? Most people can't even find Luxembourg on the map.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2019 | 11:50 AM
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I always travel by train in Switzerland, and I sit in second class.

I also take the tube in London and the Paris metro, RER B.

Thin, aristocrat ⛺
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Old Oct 22nd, 2019 | 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by hetismij2
Hah! there's normal and there's normal. No Royals are truly normal, no matter whther they take a train or ride a bike.
I did say trying...haha. I still think it's nice. And I am sure they didn't have to share the couch with other people and I am also sure the train would have waited if they were late. But still, they didn't get a helicopter or a car with an escort.
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