dinsdag 24 oktober 2023

Flashback: Birth of Elisabeth

25 October 2001

Mathilde & Philippe's first child was born on Thursday 25 October 2001, 21:58 at the Erasme Hospital in Anderlecht, Brussels. The girl weighed 2,930 kg and measured 49,5 cm. 

She was born by cesarean section as the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice. 

26 October 2001

The same night at 1:30 Crown Prince Philippe gave a press conference at the hospital where he talked very proudly about his daughter. He'd given her the first bath and he said she was a very pretty child, with a round face and very girly features. The parents were delighted it was a girl - which they had known beforehand. Philippe said it would be a great thing for Belgium to have a female future head of state.


Philippe & Mathilde named their daughter Elisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène. She was named after her great great grandmother, Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians, born as a Duchess in Bavaria in 1876. Philippe called his ancestor an inspiration for his daughter. He hoped she would one day be a strong queen, but also in the first place a strong woman, a real woman.



Around noon there was a first visit from the grandparents: King Albert II & Queen Paola and Count Patrick d'Udekem. Paola had been in Italy and was flown back to Belgium for the occasion.


A while later they were joined by new visitors: Mathilde's mother, Countess Anne Komorowska and her daughters Hélène and Elisabeth.





For Mathilde's parents Elisabeth was the first of their (eventually 11) grandchildren.

It was announced that Elisabeth's aunt, Countess Hélène d'Udekem and her cousin, Prince Amedeo of Belgium would become her grandparents.

101 canon shots were fired from the Parc Royal in Brussels.



27 October 2001

Queen Fabiola came to visit her new great-niece.


Someone elso who dropped by with a beautiful bouquet of roses: Maxima Zorreguieta, the fiancée of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander!


30 October 2001

Mathilde & Elisabeth received some more visits.

Princess Astrid & Prince Lorenz and their four children dropped by. Prince Amedeo, the baby's godfather, carried gifts.




Mathilde's mother and her sister Hélène, godmother to Elisabeth also visited. Mathilde's brother Charles-Henri was with them.



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