Entourage: Pierre Chariot

Belgian watercolour painter Pierre Chariot (89) has been queen Paola's teacher for over 20 years.

In recent years he's also accompanied king Philippe when he took up painting. According to Chariot, Philippe only started a few years ago, after he became king. Mathilde suggested painting would help her husband relieve from stress. It turned out to be a success. The king has also painted his wife and children.

Another one of Chariot's pupils is crown princess Elisabeth. It was grandma Paola who took her, and her cousins Louise and Laetitia to see Chariot for the first time in 2011, asking him to teach her granddaughters the basics of watercolour painting. Chariot: "Elisabeth has a creative mind."

When Philippe & Mathilde became king and queen in 2013, they told their children they'd be spending the weekends at the castle of Ciergnon more often. Elisabeth's reaction was: "Good, then we can be with Mr Chariot more often". Philippe and the children often visit him on Sunday mornings, as Chariot lives very near to Ciergnon in a gentilhommière he rents from the royal donation - no doubt recommended to him by queen Paola who also bought a reconverted presbytery in nearby Villers-sur-Lesse.

Queen Paola's new acquisition, that will be passed on to Laurent's children.

In a recent talk to the press Pierre Charriot also revealed that crown princess Elisabeth has used his workshop to host one of her birthday parties.