Flashback: UNICEF visit to Senegal

As Honorary President of Unicef Belgium, Princess Mathilde made a four day visit to Senegal. Her visit focused on Aids and other sexually contagious infections. Mathilde was accompanied by Belgian UNAIDS director Dr. Peter Piot.

4 December 2008

On the day of her 9th wedding anniversary, Mathilde arrived at Dakar airport.

Princess Mathilde of Belgium met the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade. 

5 December 2008

Princess Mathilde during the Intergenerational Dialogue "Where are the young leaders in the African response to HIV/AIDS".

Meeting Senegal's Prime Minister Cheikh Hadjibou Soumare.

6 December 2008

A visit to the King Baudouin Hospital in Dakar.

Mathilde also visited the vegetable garden of a hospital farm.

7 December 2008

Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited Goree Island, 3 kilometers from Dakar. Between the 15th and 19th century, twenty million slaves were held on Goree Island prior to being shipped to America. Six million of them died there from the lack of basic necessities. 

Talking to the press.

Audience with Pope Leo XIV

27 October 2025

King Philippe joined Queen Mathilde in Rome for an audience with Pope Leo XIV.

A day earlier, Mathilde had taken part an international conference on peace, organized by Sant'Egidio. In her speech she had quoted Pope Leo XIV.

The Pope seemed very pleased with the Belgian chocolates (from Neuhaus) that Philippe & Mathilde had brought for him!

Osare La Pace

26 October 2025

Queen Mathilde was in Rome to attend the opening ceremony of SantEgidio's International Peace Conference "Daring Peace".

Representatives of religious communities, culture, politics and various societal organisations came together to discuss different end new ways to solidarity and peace. Mathilde's fellow speakers were:

• Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, whom she saw just a few days ago during the Italian state visit to Belgium

• Sociologist Manuel Castells

• Kondo Koko, survivor of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima

• Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb

• Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt

• Cardinal Matteo Zuppi

With President Mattarella

"Je souhaite citer à ce sujet Sa Sainteté le Pape Léon XIV : "War is always a defeat !...Nothing is lost with peace. Everything can be lost with war."

"We gather to be guardians of history, bound by the sacred duty to preserve peace. Peace is not a passive gift but a covenant between peoples and generations."

"Let's give young people tools to build a world with fairness and compassion. Let's listen to the wisdom of women, a silent force behind every fight against injustice. The inclusion of women is an essential condition for the future of our society."

Elisabeth turns 24

25 October 2025

A new portrait of Crown Princess Elisabeth, made in June by Bas Bogaerts when Elisabeth was in Brussels to do an internship.

Luxembourg Visit to Belgium

24 October 2025

Grand Duke Guillaume & Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg made an official visit to Belgium.

Koningin Mathilde en groothertogin Stéphanie moeten vechten voor hoed tegen hevige wind https://t.co/FUj1oPn5Mz#BelgaVideo

— Maarten Weynants (@MaartenWeynants) October 24, 2025