A Day in Washington DC

6 March 2015

Queen Mathilde made a 24 hour visit to Washington DC. Because of a knee injury during a family skiing holiday in Verbier she was obliged to use a wheelchair and crutches.

First stop was the Belgian embassy in Washington, where she said her children call her "Robocop Mom" these days because of her knee brace.

The queen had a meeting was with Christine Lagarde of the IMF and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, to talk about the participation of women in economic life.

Then she pronounced a keynote speech at the "Girls Impacted by Conflict and Civil Unrest" symposium organized by the International Centre for Research on Women. Mathilde is part of their Leadership Council. Other members include Queen Rania of Jordan and Cherie Blair: http://www.icrw.org/who-we-are/ICRW-Leadership-Council

Afterwards she talked to the press about women's rights.

Mathilde told the press her leg injury forces her to be more patient with herself, and that it reminds her of the persons who have to deal with physical problems on a daily base.

Mathilde and her daughter Elisabeth both read Malala Yousifzai's book "I am Malala". Mathilde said to be very impressed by the positive message Malala brings in her own understandable words.