Earlier: At the Wedding of Friends

9 September 2023

Queen Mathilde was a guest at the wedding of friends when Baron Renaud van der Elst married Cynthia Wu. After a church blessing guests celebrated with a lavish garden party at the groom's family estate, castle Oostkerke in Damme.

Renaud van der Elst lives and works in Switzerland. It's his brother Robert who lives at the castle. 

The bride, Taiwanese Cynthia Wu was born in the US and later relocated to Taipei. She comes from a wealthy family of big bankers and politicians. Cynthia studied in the UK and worked as a financial analyst in London, she's been an MP in Taiwan and has worked for the Conservative Party in Britain.

Cynthia has been named as one of China’s 100 outstanding female entrepreneurs, and has been a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. (Just like Mathilde!). She was married before (2010-2019) to Tommy Lin.

Although it doesn't show on these photos, Cynthia was pregnant on her wedding day. The couple's son was born in February 2024.

Mathilde was seen talking to Louis Van de Velde, a former gardener of the estate, who ended up in a wheelchair 20 years ago after a work accident. He thoroughly enjoyed his chat with the Queen and disclosed that he'd seen her and Philippe at the estate before their wedding. Locally it's no secret that both families have been close friends for generations.

Parents of the groom, Baron François & Baroness van der Elst.

Mathilde's lady-in-waiting Vicountess Laurence de Ghellinck & her husband Xavier van de Werve de Schilde (left) with chevalier Aloïs Alexandre Mencik von Zebinsky & Sibylle von Outryve d'Ydewalle (right).

The Countess de Lalaing (middle) with her son Count Jacques de Lalaing & his wife, and her daughter Countess Stéphanie de Tocqueville d'Hérouville, who used to be Prince Philippe's girlfriend.

Prince Jean & Princess Marie Séverine de Caraman-Chimay, née Hoare.

Elizabeth de Chambrun, Ann-Charlotte de Windisch-Graetz, née Le Sellier de Chezelles (middle) and the Prince zu Stolberg-Stolberg. 

Countess Louis du Chastel de La Howarderie and Baroness Anne van Gysel de Meise.

Vicount & Vicountess Geoffroy de Chabot-Tramecourt.
Céliane d'Audiffret-Pasquier & John Royall.