Following a long-standing custom of walking a portion of the journey around Easter, the Belgian royal family finished the last section of the well-known pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday. A portion of the Camino de Santiago has been walked annually since 2017 by King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and their kids. The pair traveled from Santa Irene to Santiago de Compostela this year, accompanied by Princess Eléonore and Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel.
After spraining his ankle on Tuesday, Prince Emmanuel had to use crutches to reach the pilgrimage’s end. The family is spending the Easter holidays in Spain. Princess Eléonore celebrated her 17th birthday there on Wednesday, and King Philippe celebrated his 65th birthday there on Tuesday.
Two hundred thousand pilgrims
More than 200,000 pilgrims travel the Camino de Santiago each year after it was designated the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in 1987. Together with the pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem, it is one of the three major Christian pilgrimages. The journey’s high point is reaching Santiago de Compostela, Spain, when visitors are greeted by the city’s towering cathedral with its lavishly ornate Baroque façade.
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