Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
The Japanese Imperial Family hosted King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium on their first State Visit to Japan on this day in 1964, which came ahead of the Japanese State Visit to Belgium in 1971, while the next Belgian State Visit to Japan was in 1996, with the latest Belgian State Visit to Japan in 2016.
The State Visit began when King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola were received by Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako at Henna Airport, followed by an Official Welcome at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
That evening, the the Emperor and Empress (in the Meiji Scroll Tiara and the Order of Leopold) hosted a spectacular State Banquet in honour for King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola (wearing her Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara, the Wolfers Necklace and the Order of the Precious Crown) at the Imperial Palace, which also included the Crown Prince and Crown Princess (wearing her Diamond Scroll Tiara), Princess Chichibu (in her Tiara), and Prince and Princess Mikasa (wearing her Mikimoto Tiara).
King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola (wearing her Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara) also hosted a Return Banquet for the Emperor and Empress (in the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara) at the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo to mark the end of the State Visit, with other attendees including the Crown Prince and Crown Princess (wearing her Pearl Sunburst Tiara).
The Belgian Royal Family and Japanese Imperial Family have a long relationship, beginning from Prince and Princess Takamatsu’s visit to Belgium in 1930, and followed by the Japanese State Visit to Belgium in 1971 and the Japanese State Visit to Belgium in 1993, which were reciprocated by the Belgian State Visit to Japan was in 1996, with the latest Belgian State Visit to Japan in 2016.