In the morning Queen Mathilde was present at the Atomium, to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of her patronage, Child Focus.
After attending an academic session, Mathilde joined a group of children to promote the MAX campaign that teaches children it's important to have a reliable person in their lives, so they can share their doubts and fears.
Right after this activity Queen Mathilde was driven to the funeral of her uncle, Count Raoul d'Udekem in Enghien. (here)
In the evening the Queen was back in Brussels for another activity. She visited the exhibition "Expedition Egypt" at the Royal Museum for Art en History in Brussels.
It's been two weeks since Mathilde got back from an archeological visit to Egypt with her daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth.
Queen Mathilde has granted her High Patronage to this exhibition.
Queen Mathilde attended the funeral of her uncle and godfather, Count Raoul d'Udekem d'Acoz at the Saint-Nicolas church of Enghien.
Mathilde already had another acitivity planned around this time, the 25th anniversary of Child Focus. Her presence was rescheduled to an earlier hour of the morning. Thanks to a police escort she was then able to make it to the funeral in time. In the late afternoon there was yet another activity on the agenda (here).
Raoul's widow, Françoise de Maere, accompanied by her daughters Diane and Anne d'Udekem. Second row, right: Bernard d'Udekem, new head of the family.
Behind Mathilde: Blandine and Marie-Cécile de Lhoneux.
Blandine de Lhoneux carrying her young son, Alban du Bus de Warnaffe.
Each year, Philippe, Mathilde and their children spend a week of skiing holidays in Verbier, Switzerland - just like many other European royals.
Each year, they stay at the same place even though it's not theirs. Traditionnally they are the guests of their close friends, baron Guy Ullens de Schooten and his wife, baroness Mimi Ullens de Schooten. This Belgian couple is globally known in the art world as big collectors.
Here's their Swiss chalet where Mathilde & co reside each year.
Billionaire Guy Ullens made his fortune in the Artal Group, which controls several food marketing companies - like Weight Watchers. He ran the group with his cousin, Eric Wittouck.
More than 10 years ago, Guy Ullens left the business world. With the money he made by selling 14 Turners (21 million dollars), he & his wife Mimi set up the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Bejing, China, which they have turned into another financial success story.
It was one of the places king Philippe & the Belgian delegation visited on their state visit to China in 2015.
Mimi Ullens also has other hobbies besides art: she has her own clothing brand, Maison Ullens.
In 2003, Mimi was hit by breast cancer. Luckily she recovered, and set up the 'Foundation Mimi Ullens' that treats female breast cancer patients to free make up sessions, massages and psychological support to make them feel female again, and keep their spirits high.
Guy Ullens has 4 children from his previous marriage: Philippe Ullens (married to Dominique Glorieux), Brigitte Ullens (married to Cédric Guyot de Mishaegen), Yves Ullens (married to Bénédicte Hamoir) and Nicolas Ullens (married to Marie-Sophie de Halleux).
Tragic update: Mimi Ullens was killed by her stepson Nicolas Ullens on 29 March 2023. Apparently there was a conflict about money. Mimi (70), who was sitting in her car next to her husband was shot in the head 4 times and died on the spot.
On Friday 24 March 2023 Count Raoul d'Udekem d'Acoz (87), Mathilde 's uncle and godfather died.
Raoul was the last surviving brother of Mathilde's father. He was born on 21 April 1935 in Uccle and grew up with his two brothers at Castle Couthof in Proven.
He later moved to Ypres where he was active in local politics. At the end of the 1990s he moved to Herne where he was alderman from 2001 to 2007 for CD&V.
Raoul d'Udekem was married to Françoise de Maere d'Aertrycke (°1935). They have four children: Anne, Diane, Bernard and Nadine, and twelve grandchildren.
When Mathilde was a child, she and her siblings would often visit the family but as the years went on a family feud about their grandmother's inheritance caused a rift which even led to court cases. Mathilde's uncles would sometimes make the news with petty citicism on Mathilde's family, much to the Belgian press's amusement.
At one point Raoul was interviewed about one of Mathilde's sister's (Elisabeth Pallavicini) properties, that she wanted to renovate and put up for rent. There was some upheaval as the tenant, who'd never signed a contract, had to leave the house. Raoul publicly accused Elisabeth's husband of only thinking about money.
After Mathilde's father, Patrick d'Udekem died in 2008, both surviving brothers expressed their regret at having waisted so much time bickering.
In 2013 Raoul and his niece, who had become Queen of the Belgians saw each other during a joyeuse entrée in the province Vlaams-Brabant. They exchanged a brief "hello". It isn't clear if their rapport changed in the following years.
When her uncle died, Mathilde was on state visit in South Africa. She must have been informed about his health beforehand, because she visited to say her last goodbye.
It has been announced that Count Raoul d'Udekem's funeral will be held at the Saint-Nicolas church of Enghien on 30 March 2023 at 11:00. In spite of a very full agenda, Queen Mathilde will attend the funeral.
I guess Queen Mathilde will attend the funeral of her uncle and godfather. We were informed that her first activity of the day - in Brussels - is advanced, so she has 45 minutes to be just in time in Enghien (with police escort). The second activity is in the late afternoon. https://t.co/qNClQgEGs4
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) March 28, 2023
Because of the unstable political situation in South Africa, last minute changes have been made to the program: the joint press meeting of King Philippe and President Ramaphosa has been cancelled, the visit to the Freedom Park will be shortened and the state banquet has been downsized.
Welcoming ceremony hosted by President Ramaphosa at the Unions Buildings in Pretoria.
Meeting of Belgian and South African academics and entrepreneurs for a discussion on social entrepreneurship.
State Banquet in the evening. Because of a motion of (no) conficence against the government, The number of guests invited to the dinner was reduced from sixty to twenty.
Mathilde was wearing her diamond bow brooch in her hair.
Friday 24 March 2023
At the Emuseni Day Care Centre in Soweto, Johannesburg. Here the Belgian non-profit VVOB helps to ensure that at least 6 million children acquire foundational skills by the end of primary education.
The morning ended with a visit to the Hector Pieterson Museum, which was established in Soweto, Johannesburg next to the spot where 12-year-old Hector Pieterson was shot and killed by apartheid police in 1976. The Museum recalls the anti-apartheid uprising in Soweto, during which 15.000 students demonstrated against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in black schools. Police opened fire on the crowd and killed more than 170 students.
Philippe & Mathilde were given more information by Hector's sister, who is also visible on the photo.
Belgian company Skateroom works with renowned artists to make unique skateboards, and invests 10% of its income in social projects around the world. Skateistan Skate School in Johannesburg is one of them.
At the site of Belgian company BEKA Schreder, the Sovereigns were introduced to South-Africa's leading outdoor lighting manufacturer. The company develops sustainable lighting solutions that reduce energy consumption and increase safety on the streets.
In the evening the King and Queen hosted a jazz concert with Belgian and South African musicians.
Saturday 25 March 2023
The Belgian delegation travelled to Cape Town.
🇧🇪🇿🇦 Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde arrive in Cape Town for the last stop of their State Visit to South Africa.
☂️ And they brought the rainy, windy Belgian weather with hem.
🗓️ Today and tomorrow appointments in Cape Town, on Monday return to Brussels. pic.twitter.com/7sUtsjiM05
— [Wim Dehandschutter] (@WDehandschutter) March 25, 2023
First the Royal Couple had a meeting with the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde.
Lunch.
Then they visited Afrigen Biologics. The South-African biotech company receives Belgian financial support and collaborates with two Belgian companies, Univercells and eThERNA, to develop African-owned mRNA-vaccines.
At the University of the Western Cape, to talk about digital inclusion.
In the evening there was a reception at ZeitzMOCA where the King and Queen visited the exhibition "When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting" and met Belgian CEOs and their South African partners.
Clotilde Boël was Mathilde's lady-in-waiting during this state visit.
Sunday 26 March 2023
Visit to Philippivillage: a former cement factory in the township Philippi that is now home to a diverse community of entrepreneurs and small business owners with retail, office and event space as well as sporting, educational and cultural facilities.
Philippe finished a mural which he signed with his artist's name "Pilip".
For lunch, Philippe & Mathilde visited restaurant Den Anker in Cape Town, run by Belgian chef Piet Huysentruyt.
A walk in the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, a world heritage site.
During the visit, the King handed over two extremely rare breadfruit trees which were raised at the Botanic Garden of Meise in Belgium. These are species that existed at the time of the dinosaurs, but are today critically endangered.
Reception for the Royal Couple and Belgian citizens living in South Africa.
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