The famous re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo, due to take place on a weekend packed with animations and other activities, has now been postponed and will happen two weeks after the historic date of the battle.
Every year, commemorations are organised on the site of the Battle of Waterloo, which took place on 18 June 1815 in the Walloon town of Waterloo to the south of Brussels. This year, however, the memorial of this historic event has been postponed as a result of changes to school holidays in French-speaking schools.
"The new school calendar in French-speaking Belgium and the resulting scheduling of primary, secondary and higher education exams have caused the usual weekend event to be moved to the very beginning of July," the organisers confirmed.
"To bring together a large family audience, a new date was proposed that would suit as many people as possible." The historical weekend, loved by children and adults alike, will now take place on 1 and 2 July.
Aside from the date change, the programme of activities will remain largely similar to previous years, showcasing the military organisation, including animations of manoeuvres with firing and the care of the wounded, as well as the rites of everyday civilian life in 1815.
Civilian village and 'bivouacs'
The "traditional bivouacs" will be set up, where several hundred re-enactors will camp as the armies present in 1815 did, recreating the conditions of a military camp of the Napoleonic era.
Visitors can also marvel at the Emperor's tent, where Napoleon will stay from 10:30 in the morning on both days alongside his staff.
Credit: Belga/ Domaine de la bataille de Waterloo
The battle re-enactments themselves will take place on Saturday 1 July in the evening and on Sunday 2 July in the morning at the Hougoumont farm.
Here, a "civilian village" will be erected, where visitors can discover forgotten trades, including basket and clog making, giving the historical place a unique atmosphere. "Some 30 craftsmen will be rehearsing the gestures of the period illustrating all the trades of the civil village," the organisers explained.
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Throughout this weekend, the Waterloo Memorial will remain open for visitors. At the foot of the Lion's Mound, horsemen and re-enactors will manoeuvre in groups all day.
Tickets will become available soon on the organiser's website.
