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The coronation of King Charles III has given the opportunity to British expatriates and Europeans living in Belgium to strengthen their sense of community despite reservations about the role of the monarchy.
Undeterred by the rain and any lingering fallout from the Brexit split, hundreds took part in festivities on Sunday in the town of Everberg east of Brussels organised by British store Stonemanor and the Brussels British Community Association (BBCA).
In a courtyard decorated with two London taxis and an old-fashioned red telephone box, they consumed typical British food, including cream teas and fish and chips.
“It’s a fun occasion to bring the Britons together,” said Glenn Vaughan, dressed in the red and black uniform of grenadier guards, a company in the British Army with a routine role in British coronations.
People snapped pictures standing next to Mr Vaughan, who described his outfit as “a clear signal of British-ness.”
Despite his outfit, Mr Vaughan, the BBCA's chairman, said that he dislikes the monarchy.
“The monarchy is at the top of the class system in Britain, which is corrosive to our society,” said Mr Vaughan, who has lived in Belgium for 25 years and works as a lobbyist in Brussels.
Pointing at his friends in the crowd, both British and non-British, Mr Vaughan said that the most important aspect of Sunday’s gathering was strengthening a sense of community.
“It's about catching up with people,” said Mr Vaughan.
There are about 20,000 British citizens in Belgium but the real number is probably higher due to the high number of dual nationals.
Belgian authorities saw a wave of citizenship requests after Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016.
Amanda Newell, a BBCA member who works in wealth management, obtained Belgian citizenship after Brexit.
“I didn’t want the hassle of a work visa,” she said.
She does not consider returning to live in the UK.
“Obviously, I’m very proud to be British, but I feel more European.”
She said she watched short clips of the coronation of King Charles III on television on Saturday but also felt quite removed from it.
“It’s nice to watch the coronation for half an hour on the telly and then come here to feel involved,” she said, referring to the party at Stonemanor.
A Belgian lawyer who gave her name as Julie and accompanied a British friend to the event said that she was indifferent towards monarchies, both in the UK and in Belgium, where the king has limited powers.
“It’s fine if they stay,” she said. “I don’t mind.”
Marko Hainonen, a Finnish national, also has neutral feelings towards the UK monarchy.
“It’s up to them to decide what they want. When you look, historically, at Queen Elizabeth’s reign, I understand why the British feel proud,” he said. “But it’s all a bit outdated really.”
Brexit strained relations between the UK and EU institutions, which are based in Brussels, though they have improved under the leadership of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Announced in February, the Windsor Framework reduced tensions around the border created between Ireland and the UK.
“I’m delighted we came to an agreement. It’s a good basis to move forward,” said UK ambassador to Belgium Martin Shearman, who was part of the crowd in Everberg.
He told The National that the local British community remained active despite Brexit.
“Brexit was obviously a big thing but relations between the UK and Belgium are very close,” he said.
Ryan Pearce, a store manager at Stonemanor, which he described as the largest UK store in Europe, said that all proceeds of the party will go to WWF Belgium, in a nod to King Charles, who used to head WWF-UK.
“We like to give back to our community,” he said.
