King Philippe of the Belgians has welcomed four new ambassadors to the Belgian court in a centuries old tradition. 

Four ambassadors presented King Philippe with their Letters of Credence: Nicholas Brousseau from Canada, Anne Sherriff from the United Kingdom, Eros Gasperoni from San Marino, and Vicenç Mateu Zamora from Andorra. 

A Letter of Credence is a formal, diplomatic document that dates back to the thirteenth century. The Head of State of a nation will write a formal document asking the receiving Head of State to accept their ambassador. 

Historically, these letters are written in French as it was long considered the language of diplomacy. 

An unsealed letter is first presented to the minister of foreign affairs. A sealed letter is then presented to the monarch. Once this has happened, the new ambassador is officially installed in their new role. 

The Belgian king received the four ambassadors at the Palace of Laeken, the official residence of the Belgian monarch. 

Construction on the Palace of Laeken first began in 1792, but it was not fully completed until the early twentieth century. 

While King Albert and Queen Paola did not live in the palace, King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and their children do live there.