Family Holidays on the Compostela Trail

16 April 2025

Just like the previous years in the week before Easter Philippe & Mathilde have been walking part of the world famous camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This year they walked the part that led them to Compostela. 

As you can see, the couple is joined by Princess Eléonore who turns 17 today, Prince Gabriel (21) and Prince Emmanuel (19) who sprained his ankle. Elisabeth is still in the USA.  

For the first time Court shared images of this private holiday ritual. Other years we'd also see pictures, but they were taken by the public or by paparazzi. A very nice gesture, that fits right in with the positive communication strategy the Royal Family has been adhering to for years.

Happy 17th Birthday, Eléonore!

16 April 2025

For Princess Eléonore's 17th birthday, these new photo portraits by Bas Bogaerts were released.

In these pictures Eléonore is wearing jewellery by Olio.

Ask King Philippe!

15 April 2025

For King Philippe's 65th birthday (today!), the four Royal Children sent out a video message, asking the population to visit the website https://leroirepond.be (available in French, Dutch and German) where you can pose King Philippe any question you want. In the course of May 2025 a new video will be made where King Philippe replies to some of those questions.

A fun, original idea and a great opportunity for us to see the royal "children" again. Currently only Eléonore (16) and Gabriel (21) are living and studying in Belgium. Elisabeth (23) is a student at Harvard, USA and Emmanuel (19) is on a gap year in Spain.

⁉️ Quelle question avez-vous toujours rêvé de poser au Roi ?
➡️ Envoyez votre question avant le 24 avril sur https://t.co/9N9VCDHxeX et peut-être que le Roi y répondra dans un message vidéo ! 👀#LeRoiRepond pic.twitter.com/y6tbbIfntT

— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) April 15, 2025

In the video Elisabeth is wearing a jumper by Jigsaw, Eléonore is wearing a Zara blouse. 

Flashback: Work Group on Children's Rights

16 April 2002

Princess Mathilde attended a meeting at the Belgian Senate of the Work Group on Children's Rights.

The work group was preparing a visit to New York a few weeks later for a United Nations Special Summit on Children's Rights. Mathilde would be part of this visit, the first one abroad without her husband (more here:https://queenmathilde.blogspot.com/2018/09/flashback-un-children-summit.html)

Flashback: Third Pregnancy Announcement

On 14 April 2005 Court sent out a press release announcing Princess Mathilde's third pregnancy. Mathilde was 32 at the time.

"Prince Philippe & Princess Mathilde are very happy to announce they are expecting a baby. The King and Queen, the entire Royal Family and Princess Mathilde's family take part in this immense joy. The birth is expected for October 2005."

At the time of the press release, Philippe & Mathilde were on holiday at Verbier in Switzerland with Elisabeth (3,5) and Gabriel (1,5).

Fashion Flashback: Everyday Earrings