State Visit #2: Poland

Tuesday 13 October 2015

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde left at 7:00 for their second state visit, to Poland. Two hours later they arrived in Warsaw.

Queen Mathilde is half Polish through her mother, Countess Anna Komoroska.

Welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw, with President Andrzei Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda.

Visit to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

In the afternoon Queen Mathilde and Mrs Kornhauser-Duda visited the Chopin Museum.

At night there was a walking dinner at the Belgian embassy in Warsaw.

 

Melissa Maas accompanied the Queen during this state visit.

For the first time Queen Mathilde wore the Wolfers tiara that used to belong to Queen Fabiola.

President Duda hosted an official dinner for the king and queen at the presidential palace.

In his speech King Philippe said: "Thanks to my wife's Polish roots I daily experience the discreet combination of charm and determination that's so typical of the Polish people."

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Queen Mathilde and the Polish first lady assisted at a conference on the development of small children in nurseries and kindergardens.

Afterwards they visited the bilingual German-Polish Goethe school.

At noon there was an all female work lunch to discuss the work-life balance of Polish and Belgian women.

In the afternoon Mrs Duda showed Queen Mathilde the Jewish Museum.

Together with King Philippe, Mathilde planted a beech tree at the presentation of a Belgian-Polish UNESCO project to protect the ancient beech forests of Europe.

At night the presidential and royal couple enjoyed a concert by an ensemble of the National Orchestra of Belgium, at the Royal Theatre of the Old Orangery in Warsaw.

Thursday 15 October 2015

In the morning the royals joined the presidential couple for a visit to the Warsaw Uprising Museum.

At noon the King & Queen left Poland.