A royal barge is a ceremonial barge that is used by a monarch for processions and transport on a body of water. Royal barges are currently used in monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Thailand. Traditionally the use of royal barges was of high importance in Southeast Asian monarchies such as Siam, Burma, Brunei, Riau and Cambodia. Belgium In the 19th century, when a head of state visited a port city, it was traditional to invite them aboard a royal barge. This was why the Belgian government decided, on the recommendation of the King Leopold I, to have the Lecarpentier shipyards in Antwerp build a royal barge. Launched on July 12, 1835, the Canot Royal carried the royal couple for the first time from Brussels to Antwerp via the Rupel to watch a military flotilla. Subsequently, Leopold I used the Canot Royal during his various trips to Antwerp, Ghent and Ostend. On July 10, 1862, in Antwerp, the Canot Royal brought Prince Louis of Hesse and his wife Princess Alice to the quay on the occasion of their honeymoon aboard the English royal yacht "Victoria and Albert". On November 5, 1899, RV Belgica returned to Antwerp. The Canot Royal picks up Adrien de Gerlache and his mate, Georges Lecointe, to bring them aboard the “Princess Clémentine” mail coach, where government officials and their close families await them. On December 7, 1901, the Canot Royal was retired and disassembled. Nowadays, Parts of the Canot Royal are kept at the Royal Military Museum and at Royal Palace of Brussels. In 2022 L'Atelier Marin/Maritiem Atelier announced plans to make a replica of the royal barge. Burma (Myanmar) The royal barge, called phaungdaw (), was of historic importance during the monarchical era, and retains cultural significance in modern-day Myanmar (Burma). The Karaweik barge on Yangon's Kandawgyi Lake and an iconic symbol of the city, was designed by Burmese architect Ngwe Hlaing, and was based on a royal barge. Hpaung Daw U Pagoda, which is situated on Inle Lake, is known for a major pagoda festival during which four of the Buddha images from the pagoda are placed on a royal barge designed as a hintha bird and taken throughout Inle Lake. The royal barge was an important ceremonial possession of the Burmese monarchy, and was used for ceremonial and state affairs, such as a procession around the royal palace moat following a