Philippe of Belgium

"I swear to abide by the constitution and laws of the Belgian people, to maintain national independence and the integrity of the land."

"I begin my reign with the desire to put myself at the service of all Belgians. I will work for it in perfect agreement with the government and in accordance with the constitution."

"The wealth of our country and our institutional system lies particularly in the fact that our diversity is strength. Whenever we find a balance between unity and diversity, the strength of Belgium is precisely to give meaning to our diversity."

"Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium: I am accused of attacking my family and especially the person of the king. That was clearly never my intention, I know how complex and delicate the situation in Belgium is. I know that the king cannot act politically without the permission of the government. I also know how passionate my cousin is about history, but also sensitive to the aspirations and feelings of his fellow citizens. We live in a crucial moment. The opportunity for inter-community dialogue must be seized."

"Laurette Onkelinx: Why did the king have to receive the Vlaams Belang? This is a racist and violent party and I think that the message given by the king is damaging."

"Tom Van Grieken: It is completely normal to invite a party that has won the elections. I was pleased with the invitation … I am not going to say it is unnatural. This is natural. What happened over the past 40 years was not democratic."