No interest in Belgian royal memorabilia

Commemorative objects featuring images of the Belgian royal family generate very little interest, least of all among tourists visiting Belgium, RTL News reported yesterday, having interviewed souvenir shop owners in the tourist districts of Brussels. Collectors of royal memorabilia do not seem to be passionate about the Belgian monarchy on the internet either, it transpires. Unlike in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands or Sweden, there is no real tradition of trinkets or gadgets adorned with members of the Belgian royal family. With Philippe’s coronation just over a week away, RTL News was unable to find any memorabilia featuring the future king’s image in the capital’s souvenir shops, apart from pictures dating from previous royal births. A search on eBay’s Belgian pages did not prove much more successful, yielding a book of stamps featuring Philippe and Mathilde going for €1, a biscuit tin with an image of the couple’s wedding (€5) and a figurine of Prince Phillip... from Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.