Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first royal entry in Bruges occurred on the 5th of April 1127 when Count William of Flanders arrived in the city. This event was a formal truce where the canons of Saint Donatian met the count at twilight to negotiate rights and read a charter of liberty.
The royal entry evolved from a political bargain into a massive theatrical production by the 14th century to glorify the absolute monarch. Cities began staging elaborate dramas and allegorical figures while the procession paused for tableaux featuring Fortune, the seven virtues, and the Nine Worthies.
The true inspiration for the revival of the royal entry came from the literary descriptions of the Roman triumph found in Livy, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio. These sources influenced Habsburg rulers who claimed the Imperial legacy of Rome and adopted details from Mantegna's mural of the Triumphs of Caesar.
After the population of Genoa revolted against the French in 1499, Louis XII of France entered the city in full armour holding a naked sword to strike the portal. The city agreed to a capitulation that included the execution of the Doge and other leaders of the revolt following the entry.
Many great artists including Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, Holbein, Andrea del Sarto, Perino del Vaga, Polidoro da Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Rubens contributed to these vanished themes. Composers and writers such as Lassus, Monteverdi, John Dowland, Tasso, Ronsard, Ben Jonson, and Dryden also participated in the festivities.
Royal progresses stopped completely in France for over fifty years once Louis XIV succeeded to the throne due to the concentration of power in royal hands begun by Richelieu. The tradition ended because city elites became distrustful of the monarchy and rulers grew cautious about appearing in slow-moving processions after the spread of guns and assassinations.