Access to the permanent collections of Belgium's federal museums will be free from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 July in honour of the tenth anniversary of the reign of King Philippe.
On making the announcement on Monday, Secretary of State for Scientific Policy Thomas Dermine described the initiative as a "measure of gratitude to honour in our own way His Majesty the King on the occasion of the tenth year of his reign."
Dermine highlighted the royal couple's "sustained efforts to improve the federal museums" and said that the measure this weekend will "allow everyone to visit the superb collections that our institutions preserve, study and improve." The minister thanked the museum directors and staff for making the operation possible.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on a royal visit to the David Hockney exhibition at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, in Brussels, 07 October 2021. Credit: Belga
The relevant museums include the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (which include the Magritte Museum, the Fin de Siècle Museum, the Old Masters Museum, the Wiertz Museum and the Meunier Museum), the Royal Museums of Art and History (including the Art and History Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and Halle Gate), the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum of Central Africa (otherwise known as the AfricaMuseum) and the KBR museum.
The Wiertz and Meunier Museums will only be open on 21 July, while the KBR Museum and Halle Gate will only be accessible on 22-23 July. The permanent collection of the Art and History Museum will only be available for viewing on 22-23 July; however, its temporary exhibition "Expedition Egypt" will accessible on 21 July for a small fee (€6 standard ticket).
