Pope Francis has had a busy day with a visit to Luxembourg before arriving in Belgium on Thursday. 

The Pope arrived in Brussels on a flight from Luxembourg and was welcomed by the guard of honour, as well as a military band and children’s choir performing. 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium were also on hand at Melsbroek military airport to greet Pope Francis at the beginning of his four day trip to Belgium. 

The 87 year old Papal leader disembarked from the Papal Plane by wheelchair. The Belgian King and Queen braved the inclement weather with umbrellas to meet His Holiness. 

Queen Mathilde chose to wear a navy midi-dress with a bateau neckline and large bow detail on the shoulder. In addition to her navy pumps and clutch, her clear umbrella was the perfect accessory for a rainy day. 

Belgium is one of a handful of Catholic monarchies left in Europe. The other current Catholic monarchies are Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Liechtenstein. 

The Pope will be in Belgium through Sunday. He has a busy schedule planned. He will be at the Catholic University of Leuven to celebrate the institution’s 600th anniversary and crowds of over 35,000 Catholics are expected to attend a special Mass at Brussels’ Stadium on Sunday.