WWII veteran asked a stranger what he did for a living, unaware that he was talking to an actual King
'That's my husband,' the Queen said. 'What's his occupation?' the retired soldier pressed on.
WWII veteran George Mullins, who served in the 101st Airborne Division, was invited to the Belgian Royal Palace to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. There, he met King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, the royal couple of Belgium, but had no idea who they were until Her Majesty made it quite obvious. Mullins acted as if he were talking to some random guests invited for the memorial, but was shocked when confronted with the real, royal identities. Best Defense Foundation (@bestdefensefoundation) posted the video on January 5. So far, it has been viewed 8 million times on Instagram.
Mullins was talking to Queen Mathilde when he spotted King Philippe and questioned her about him. Queen Mathilde looked at the war veteran and introduced him. "That's my husband," she said. "What's his occupation?" the retired soldier pressed on. Queen Mathilde appeared a bit confused and probably didn't know how to break the truth to him. She paused before announcing, "He is a king of the Belgians; that is his occupation." Mullins was shocked; he couldn't believe he had been talking to the King and Queen of Belgium all this time. King Philippe, perhaps, realizing that the war veteran was a bit embarrassed, immediately smiled at him before bowing down in respect. "Don't tell anyone," the King joked, and Mullins played along, covering his mouth, acting as if he was hiding something truly scandalous.
Mullins couldn't recognize the royal couple, especially the king, probably because they were just too humble in contrast to the prestigious positions they hold. In fact, King Philippe is so simple and down-to-earth that his morning routine is like that of any other common man. The King of Belgium revealed that he wakes up at 7 am daily, eats breakfast, meditates, plays piano, and then starts his work day. Moreover, just like anyone else his age, King Philippe has a bit of an arthritis issue, and hence can't go for runs. "I also enjoy walking. My wife and I go for long walks," he said, as RTL Info shared. His interview went viral, with many people praising the king for being so open about his life. "It's nice to know he’s a bit like the rest of us..." a common man said.
Netizens were in awe of King Philippe, who didn't seem to take it personally that the WWII veteran couldn't recognize him; instead, he took it very sportingly. Reacting to the king's humble nature, @stengeldizzknee commented, "That's awesome, and it was very kind of the king to not make a big deal of it and turn it into a joke, making the vet feel better about not knowing that's awesome!" Similarly, @gossipboimoi wrote, "Queen Mathilde has such a beautiful voice! This is the first time I've heard her speak. You can tell from her tone of voice and how she speaks to this gentleman that she has a good heart and is treating her elder with respect. Much respect and love to their Majesties." @jeanpaulvanputten shared, "I love it; our king and queen are loveable people who have a huge respect for all veterans, so no harm whatsoever is done!"
You can follow BEST DEFENSE FOUNDATION (@bestdefensefoundation) on Instagram for more defense personnel-related content.
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