Festivities to swear in the new king of the Belgians kicked off on Sunday (July 21) with a special mass at Brussels landmark St. Michael and St. Gudula cathedral.<br/> <br />Large crowds greeted King Albert II, Queen Paola, Crown Prince Philippe and Crown Princess Mathilde as they arrived at a Te Deum mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of the monarch's rein.<br/> <br />Alongside the festivities there are questions over the political influence of the monarch and the acceptance of Philippe as the king of all Belgians.<br/> <br />The 183-year-old country is split across the middle, with many Dutch speakers seeking greater independence for Flanders in the north and wary of a monarchy seen rooted in the once powerful, but now poorer French-speaking Wallonia in the south.<br/> <br />Fewer than half of the people in Flanders believe Philippe will be a good king against two-thirds in Wallonia, according to a poll.
