Tears for a beloved aunt: Belgium's royals joined by European monarchs as they bid farewell to Queen Fabiola, Royals and politicians from across Europe have gathered in Brussels to pay their last respects to the late Queen Fabiola who died at her Laeken home outside the Belgian capital last Friday.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians were among a group who stood in sombre silence as the funeral cortege of the former queen pulled up outside the imposing Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in central Brussels.
They were joined by royals from around the world, among them Japan's Empress Michiko, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid El Alaoui and Sweden's Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
Fabiola's native Spain was represented by former King Juan-Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia, but none of the British royals were able to attend the funeral and the United Kingdom was represented by the British ambassador to Belgium instead.
Queen Fabiola's great nephews and nieces were also at the funeral, one of whom, 11-year-old Prince Gabriel, couldn't hold back his tears as his great-aunt's coffin was carried past.
The body of the 86-year-old dowager queen was borne into the church on the shoulders of a military guard and, as her coffin was hoisted up the steps, was saluted by a guard of honour.
Following the procession up the steps and into the cathedral were the Belgian royal family, among them former King Albert II, 80, and his wife, Queen Paola, 77, and their guests.
After the service, which saw Queen Mathilde burst into tears, before reaching over to comfort her tearful 11-year-old son, Prince Gabriel, the coffin was driven away to Laeken Palace for a family burial.
Fabiola reigned as Queen Consort for more than 33 years but, tragically, was unable to have children which meant the Belgian throne passed to her husband Badouin's younger brother Albert upon his death in July 1993.
After Badouin's death, the royal, who was born Fabiola Fernanda Maria de las Victorias Antonia Adélaïda Mora y Aragon, took a step back from the limelight and spent her final years championing good causes, among them women's issues and action on disability.
Despite handing over the reins of power, the dowager queen remained an enormously popular member of the Belgian royal family, not least with her nephew King Philippe who is thought to have been left devastated by her death.
A statement released by the Palace following the announcement of her death spoke of the family's sadness at the loss. Their feelings are shared by the Belgian people, with Foreign minister Didier Reynders telling Belgium's RTL television channel that 'all Belgians would mourn her passing'.
'A page in our country's history has turned,' he added.
Although her exact cause of death has not been confirmed, Queen Fabiola had been suffering from osteoporosis for years, and had never fully recovered from pneumonia in 2009.
