Flashback: Don Quichotte

4 May 2010

Princess Mathilde watched the opera "Don Quichotte" at La Monnaie in Brussels, José Van Dam's  farewell performance.

2026 Weddings

Weddings where we may see members of the Belgian royal family? 

Duchess Dorothée von Württemberg (°1997, daughter of the late Duke Friedrich von Württemberg & Princess Marie zu Wied) will marry Philipp Polack at the end of the summer.

Archduchess Isabel of Austria (°2000, daughter of Archduke Simeon of Austria & Princess Maria of Bourbon-Sicily) will marry Carlos María de Palacio y Gaytán de Ayala. (Or are they already married?)

Countess Marie-Thérèse von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg  (°1989, daughter of Duchess Mathilde von Württemberg & Fürst Erich von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg) will marry Prince Philipp von Oettingen-Wallerstein.

Duchess Pauline von Württemberg (°1997, daughter of Prince Philipp von Württemberg & Duchess Marie Caroline in Bayern) will marry Count Constantin von Königseggs-Auhlendorf.

Princess Hélène d’Orléans (°2001, daughter of Prince Charles-Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres & Iléana Manos) wil marry Francisco Sotomayor Quinta.

Hélène & her brother 

COMING UP Trade Missions in 2027

In the first half of 2027, Queen Mathilde will preside a trade mission to Morocco.

In the second half of the year there will be a trade mission to Canada, led by Queen Mathilde or Crown Princess Elisabeth, who will be 25 or 26 by then.

Flashback: Meeting of the Heirs

On 2 March 2013 Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands hosted the annual (private) meeting of the European heirs to the throne, at castle Het Oude Loo in Apeldoorn.

Since them 5 heirs have become head of state: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Philippe of the Belgians, King Felipe VI of Spain, King Frederik X of Denmark and Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg.

Interesting detail: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway was there by himself, his wife Princess Mette-Marit was spending the weekend in New York with Jeffrey Epstein.

Gabriel's Winter Camp in Morocco

Prince Gabriel and his fellow officers of the Royal Military Academy passed a winter camp in the Moroccan desert near Errachidia. They practiced orienteering, survival skills and leading a platoon.

Jewels: Diamond Dormeuse Earrings

At the 2020 new year's reception for the EU institutions, Queen Mathilde wore these beautiful diamond dormeuse earrings for the first time.

Their late 19th century design suggests they're antique jewellery. 

At the Christmas concert in December 2021, they were seen for the first time worn by Crown Princess Elisabeth.

Since then they have become a firm favourite of the heir to the throne.

COMING UP Third Trade Visit to Turkey

10 May -12 May 2026

Queen Mathilde will be presiding a trade mission to Turkey, the first one since Princess Astrid stepped down from this function.

From 2000 to 2013 (when she became Queen), Mathilde accompanied her husband who presided these very busy and versatile foreign visits twice a year. Mathilde had her own agenda, often focusing on social, medical, educational or cultural aspects. Together with Philippe, she also attended the many work meetings/breakfasts/lunches, receptions and meetings with leaders and heads of state.

2012

For the first time, she will now be doing this solo until the time comes when Crown Princess Elisabeth (24), who's currently still a student at Harvard, will take over. It's generally expected this will be in 2027.

Mathilde's visited Turkey on a trade mission twice before, in 2004 and in 2012.

On this particular visit, Queen Mathilde will be accompanied by Minister for foreign affairs Maxime Prévot, Minister of Defence charged with foreign trade,Theo Franken, Minister President of the Flemish government Matthias Diependaele, vice president of the Walloon governement Pierre-Yves Jeholet, and the Brussels secretary of state.

The visit will continue for two more days after Mathilde's departure. The fact that she can't accompany the mission from beginning to end seems to suggest that Astrid's decision was indeed taken quite spontaneously on doctor's orders, and hadn't been in the making for the last year or months.

Oncologists

12 February 2026

For the 50th anniversary of the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology, Queen Mathilde had a meeting at the royal palace with two renowned oncologists, Martine Piccart and Evandro de Azambuja.

Recap: Mass for Deceased Family Members

Traditionally members of the wider Belgian Royal Family gather around the 17th of February at the Notre-Dame de Laeken church for a remembrance mass in honour of all deceased family members. 17 February marks the day King Albert I died accidentally in 1934.

17 February 2000

17 February 2003

2004

15 February 2007

17 February 2009

23 February 2010

17 February 2011

16 February 2012

19 February 2013

18 February 2014

12 February 2015

17 February 2016

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2016/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members.html

17 February 2017

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2017/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members.html

20 February 2018

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2018/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2018.html

19 February 2019

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2019/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2019.html

17 February 2020

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2020/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2020.html

17 February 2021

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2021/02/remembering-deceased-family-2021.html

17 February 2022

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2022/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2022.html

17 February 2023

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2023/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2023.html

20 February 2024

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2024/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2024.html

18 February 2025

More: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2025/02/mass-for-deceased-family-members-2025.html