INTERVIEW: Mathilde talks about the Queen Elisabeth Competition

In an interview with VRT & RTBF queen Mathilde talks about her patronage, the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

As a student Mathilde already attended the concerts and loved it. After her marriage she was really able to explore the competition deeper. She was often invited by queen Fabiola - who was the competition's previous patron - to join her in the royal box. It are wonderfull memories.

Mathilde says in a very diplomatic way that Fabiola would never stop talking during the performances, she was full of enthousiasm and imagination: "With queen Fabiola it was a challange to stop talking once you were in the royal box".

Now her own children join her, and they're the ones who ask to be there themselves (Note: I'm not sure this also applies to Gabriel ;-)) All of Mathilde's 4 children are music lovers, and they play instruments: piano, saxophone and violin.

Eléonore, who started the violin at the age of 4, really begged her mom to stay all evening, but Mathilde was a strict mom and said: sorry, you have to go to bed in time... So Eléonore had to leave after the first half of the evening. Mathilde adds that her youngest daughter is really talented, and that she follows the competition on tv & on youtube.

video: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/05/24/koningin-mathilde-geeft-openhartig-interview-over-de-koningin-el/

The complete interview in Dutch

WONDERFUL interview with queen Mathilde!

https://t.co/Suez5Z25zI

— Queen Mathilde Blog (@BlogMathilde) 27 mei 2019

In the French interview, Mathilde explains how the technical skills of the violinists, combined with their virtuosity really touches her. She gets attached to the musicians as they grow in this competition, through all the hard work and stress. The process of their personal evolution is something that fascinates the queen.

Meeting the laureates at the end of the month is also a special moment for Mathilde: they haven't just been practicing, but they've also bonded as a group and shared a special experience. The queen likes this human side of things.