Flanders Fashion Fuel + Expo "Dries Van Noten: Inspirations"

26 March 2015

Queen Mathilde met Belgian fashion designers for the project "Flanders Fashion Fuel".

Afterwards she visited the Dries Van Noten exhibition at fashion museum MoMu in Antwerp. She was given a tour by the designer himself.

King Boudewijn Foundation

26 March 2015

Queen Mathilde has accepted the honorary chairmanship of the Fondation Roi Baudouin / Koning Boudewijnstichting.

She succeeds the late Queen Fabiola in this role.

Martin Schultz

25 March 2015

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde had lunch with Martin Schulz at the Castle of Laeken.

Schulz is the President of the European Parliament.

Expo "Facing Time - Rops/Fabre"

24 March 2015

Queen Mathilde visited the exhibition "Facing Time - Rops/Fabre" at the Musée Félicien Rops and on other locations in in Namur.

Artist Jan Fabre accompanied her.

Fabre signed the catalogue with the words "For my bionic queen" referring to Mathilde's knee brace. Mathilde replied: "I've been called all sorts of things but that's a first!"

RTBF

19 March 2015

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde made a visit to Belgian TV & radio broadcasting company RTBF in Brussels.

Teach for Belgium

18 March 2015

Queen Mathilde had a meeting in Brussels with a group of teachers who participate in the project "Teach for Belgium".

Teach for Belgium motivates teachers to work in schools that have a large number of socially & economically challenged pupils.

Bednet

17 March 2015

Queen Mathilde visited the "Bednet" project of the Sint-Aloysius College in Menen.

Bednet provides education through the internet for children who suffer a long or chronic illness and can't attend regular classes.

Via internet pupil Ellen Bettens follows classes from home. She's recovering from brain surgery. Mathilde participated in a class.

Afterwards Ellen made a visit to class, for this special occasion.

There was an evaluation with the staff.

video: http://www.focus-wtv.be/video/koningin-mathilde-bezoekt-bednetproject-menen 

Family: Marie-Alix d'Udekem

Mathilde's sister, Marie-Alix d'Udekem d'Acoz (1974-1997) was one year younger than Mathilde.

Marie-Alix was the one who introduced her sister to Crown Prince Philippe. Marie-Alix met Philippe for the first time at a charity gala of "Aider Autrui" on the 11 June 1995 (photos below) at the castle of Beloeil. Her parents were also at the gala, but Mathilde wasn't. Philippe and Marie-Alix got along well and Marie-Alix decided to present her sister Mathilde to him...

When Marie-Alix died in a car crash two years later, Mathilde and another of her sisters, Elisabeth, were in Germany. It was Philippe who went to get them and drove them home. He also helped to take care of the practical side of the funeral - where he was present.