Burger King upsets Belgian royal family with commercial
Even before opening its first fast-food restaurant in Belgium, the Burger King chain has already gotten on the wrong side of the country's monarch.
In a commercial published on the Internet, the chain asks Belgians in a humorous tone to choose between their head of state King Philippe and the "King of Burgers." "Are you sure you want to choose King Philippe?" the video continues. "He will not make you fries." This is illustrated with a portrait of the king in profile on one side and a hamburger on the other.
The royal family reacted in a huff. "The use of the king's image requires permission," the palace stressed in a statement Saturday. "In this specific case, no request was made to us," palace spokesman Emmanuel de Bauw told the AFP news agency. And since the use was for commercial purposes, authorization would have been denied. "We disapprove of this approach," the palace spokesman said.
When asked about possible legal action, he replied that the palace would first contact Burger King. Burger King has bought up the branches of the Quick snack chain in Belgium. At the end of June, the US company will open its first branch in Belgium in Antwerp. (SDA)
