Patronage: Child Focus

31 January 2014

Both Queen Mathilde and her mother-in-law were at the Child Focus HQ in Brussels, where Mathilde officially took over from Paola as Honorary President of Child Focus.

Child Focus had been established in the wake of the Dutroux paedophile horrors. It was an initiative of Queen Paola, one of the few she was very implicated in. On this occasion she also said goodbye to the staff of the organisation.

During the visit it became clear there's no love lost between Paola and Mathilde. When Mathilde explicitly thanked Paola for her work, and looked at her, Paola kept staring straight ahead with a blank expression. 

Joyeuses Entrées as Princess

The Belgian royal tradition of "Joyeuses entrées" dates back to the 14th century when the Dukes of Burgundy, and later the other royal rulers of the Low Countries, would visit their territories for the first time: a festive occasion where local rights and privileges would be officially acknowledged.

In Belgium this custom lives on to this day with the royal family. The crown prince intoduces his fiancee to the inhabitants of all Belgian provinces, and a new king tours the provinces with his queen, to officially greet the population.

21 October 1999, Luxembourg

Visiting the abbey of Orval.

25 October 1999, West-Vlaanderen

28 October 1999, Brabant Wallon

4 November 1999, Vlaams-Brabant

Visits to Tienen, Kampenhout, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe and Leuven.

18 January 2000, Liège

Video of the visit to Verviers:

24 January 2000, Antwerpen

9 February 2000, Hainaut

1 March 2000, Oost-Vlaanderen

8 March 2000, Namur

The silver bracelet Mathilde received is one of the very few gifts she has actually been seen wearing.

23 March 2000, Limburg

The couple received bikes as a wedding present.