Emmanuel Turns 21

4 October 2026

Today Prince Emmanuel celebrates his 21st birthday! 

Court published this wonderful new portrait, taken at Laeken by Bas Bogaerts. Gorgeous!

Flashback: Gala for the Polar Foundation

3 October 2012

Explorer Alain Hubert welcomed Crown Prince Philippe & Princess Mathilde of Belgium to a gala dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Polar Foundation at Tour & Taxis in Brussels.

Other VIP guests were Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Esmeralda of Belgium.

COMING UP State Visit #19: Kazakhstan

11 October - 14 October 2026

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde will be making a state visit to Kazakhstan. 

The royal couple and their delegation will be visiting Astana and Almaty. 

Symposium of HM The Queen: AI & Healthcare Professions

1 October 2026

The third Symposium of Her Majesty the Queen was dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare professions.

". In recent months, I have visited several Belgian hospitals and research institutes to gain a better understanding of how artificial intelligence is already transforming clinical practice. It can help us analyse the ever-growing quantity of medical information. It can contribute to earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Artificial intelligence can also take over certain repetitive tasks, giving healthcare professionals more time for what remains essential: listening to patients, understanding their needs and caring for them.

These visits have been invaluable: they have allowed me to observe concrete applications of AI in pathology, radiology and clinical decision support, and to hear directly from healthcare professionals about both the benefits and the concerns these technologies raise. What I have seen confirms the great potential of artificial intelligence."

Afterwards Mathilde talked with patients who have benefitted from an AI supported treatment. She also met with students in medicine and engineering. 

The symposium was organized by the Royal Academy for Medecine of Belgium, of which Mathilde is an honorary member. 

Flashback: Quality of Life for the Elderly

1 October 2004

Princess Mathilde took part in an academic lecture on "The quality of life, as the years go by" at the Erasme Hospital in Anderlecht.

Visit to Liège

29 September 2026

On their provincial visit, King Philippe & Queen Mathilde made a stop at Le Bercail in Liège, a residential daycare centre for adults with a mental impairment. 

At the Place Saint-Lambert the royal couple made time to greet the public.

A new lady-in-waiting?

Then they went to Seraing to visit the Val Saint-Lambert crystal factory that celebrates its bicentenary. 

After a worklunch where two themes were discussed (industrial reconversion and mental health & addiction issues), they made a visit to the factory and were given a glassblowing demo. 

video: https://www.qu4tre.be/infos/le-roi-philippe-et-la-reine-mathilde-en-visite-a-liege-et-seraing/2016606

Flashback: Government Lunch 2004

28 September 2004

The royal family hosted a lunch at Laeken castle for the Belgian government.