Queen Mathilde

donderdag 15 juli 2021

Flashback: UNDP Report

15 July 2004

Crown Prince Philippe & Princess Mathilde at the presentation of the Human Development Report 2004 of the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in Brussels.

woensdag 14 juli 2021

Flashback: Saenhoeve

14 July 2010

Princess Mathilde visited summer camp Saenhoeve in Maasmechelen for its 40 years of existence.

dinsdag 13 juli 2021

Royal Palace Opens for Summer 2021

The Royal Palace in Brussels is opened for visitors from 23 July to 29 August 2021.

As per usual, a visit is free, but due to Corona, reservations have to be made in advance as the number of visitors will be limited.

zaterdag 10 juli 2021

Madinah Mohammed Ibrahim

Queen Mathilde has accepted to become the godmother of little Madinah, the 7th daughter in an uninterrupted line of girls from a family with Afghan roots, living in Ghent.

vrijdag 9 juli 2021

Camp Lagland

9 July 2021

At the start of Crown Princess Elisabeth's final summer camp at Camp Lagland in Arlon, the press was allowed to shoot images.

They saw the Princess (19) and her fellow student-officers arrive in the early morning to parade in formation, salute the flag, do exercises and have breakfast.

Prinses Elisabeth (19), die een jaar een legeropleiding volgt, is op zomerkamp in Aarlen. Tijdens deze theoretische en praktische training scherpen de leerling-officieren hun militaire vaardigheden/technieken aan. We mogen haar vanochtend volgen. Tijd voor hindernissenparcours(2) pic.twitter.com/aKNrVrmrFg
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) July 9, 2021

Prinses Elisabeth (19), die een jaar een legeropleiding volgt, is op zomerkamp in Aarlen. Tijdens deze theoretische en praktische training scherpen de leerling-officieren hun militaire vaardigheden/technieken aan. We mogen haar vanochtend volgen. Tijd voor het ontbijt! pic.twitter.com/EMyhOXd9pS
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) July 9, 2021

After a crawling exercise Elisabeth unexpectedly approached the journalists and photographers to address them a few words.

She said (in Dutch): "By now I've got used to getting up very early. I've had to adapt to many things here but I really enjoyed it. I met great people and I had many new experiences... So thank you for coming, I hope we'll see each other again the 21st of July". Then she switched to French: "Thank you so much for getting up so early to be here. I hope to see you on 21 July when I'll be marching at the parade with this group of people who've become my friends. Thank you, have a nice day."

Prinses Elisabeth in leger: “Ik ben het intussen gewoon om zo vroeg op te staan (6u, W.D.). Ik heb me ‘veel’ moeten aanpassen hier, maar ik heb er enorm veel van genoten. Ik heb fantastische mensen ontmoet, veel nieuwe ervaringen opgedaan. Ik hoop jullie terug te zien op 21 juli” pic.twitter.com/Yt0LYbfUY4
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) July 9, 2021

The camp, where the students will among other things perfect their grenade launching skills, lasts until 30 July 2021. By then the first year is over for these students, and for Elisabeth it will be the end of her military formation.

No doubt we'll hear in due time what the next step will be for Crown Princess Elisabeth!

Violence & the Mental Health of Children

8 July 2021

Queen Mathilde participated in an online discussion on the impact of violence on the mental health of children, along with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore and WHO leader Tedros Ghebreyesus.

Parts of her poignant opening address:

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated lives, communities and entire economies. As the progression of the virus shows signs of abatement, we know that we still have a long way to go. The pandemic has also laid bare the inequalities and fragilities of our societies. It has disproportionately hurt the weakest.

Families, communities, societies are meant to provide for, guide and protect their children and their youth. During the pandemic, however, many children and young people found themselves in the frontline. Because of the lockdown, they have been hit by poverty, deprived of protection, schooling and contacts with their peers. Often they have been forced into work, into sexual exploitation, into criminal activities or into early marriages. Domestic violence, online abuse, and mental health issues were already rampant. They have dramatically increased during the pandemic.

The United Nations system raised the alarm very early on. No one today should pretend they are unaware: we have a widespread societal problem on our hands and a challenge of vast proportions to tackle.

As we move ahead, let us also listen to the children’s voices. Let us pay attention to the power of their resilience. Let us, for once, look at the world from their perspective. The world that we adults have built for them. A world that should have been protective and safe for everyone. Let us ask ourselves where we have failed to deliver on these promises and how we can rectify the situation."