43rd Birthday

20 January 2016

Queen Mathilde celebrates her 43rd birthday today. Court published this new photo on Facebook.

Mathilde and Philippe are spending most part of the week at Davos, Switzerland where they participate in the World Economic Forum.

Patronage: Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group

Queen Mathilde has been nominated by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon as a member of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group.

The Group has 17 members:

- Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
- Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar
- Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
- Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed Yunus
- Chinese business magnate Jack Ma
- President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama
- Norwegian PM Erna Solberg
- Mandela's widow Graça Machel, Mozambican children's rights advocate
- UN chair Dho Young-Shim
- Canadian Alaa Murabit, women's rights activist
- Dutch Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever
- American economist Jeffrey Sachs
- Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist
- Film producer Richard Curtis
- Actor Forest Whitaker
- Football player Leo Messi
- Singer Shakira Mebarak

Their goal is to support the UN in mobilizing the international community to take action to achieve the SDGs by 2030, in order to end poverty, strengthen equity and and fight climate change.

Private: Visit to Ghent

17 January 2016

Last Saturday Mathilde, Philippe and the children made a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent to view the famous "Mystic Lamb" being restored.

They were shown round the Sint-Baafs cathedral by bishop Van Looy and had dinner at restaurant Coeur d'Artichaut.

Mathilde had mushroom and truffle risotto, Elisabeth chose iberico & black pudding, Eléonore spaghetti bolognese and the two boys had a burger. The king had a dish with shrimps and hollandaise sauce.

Uit de Marge

13 January 2016

Queen Mathilde had a meeting at the royal palace with the organization "Uit De Marge" that works with socially vulnerable young people.

Lunch with Queen Rania

12 January 2016

Queen Mathilde received Jordanian Queen Rania at the royal palace for a private lunch.

Queen Rania visited Brussels to talk about the refugee crisis.

An official Jordanian state visit to Belgium was to follow in the spring of 2016.

Grand Duke Jean turns 95

9 January 2016

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde attended a birthday concert for Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde of the Belgians.

King Constantine & Queen Anne Marie of Greece.

Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg.

Princess Astrid, Prince Josef and Princess Anunciata of Liechtenstein.

Prince Guillaume & Princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg.

Prince Jean of Luxembourg & Diane de Guerre, Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg & Archduke Christian de Habsbourg-Lorraine.

Prince Wenceslas, Prince Constantin, Princess Marie Gabrielle and Prince Carl de Nassau.

Prince Paul-Louis, Prince Jean, Princess Charlotte and Prince Léopold of Luxembourg.

Archduke Christoph & Archduchess Adélaïde de Habsbourg-Lorraine.

Archduchess Marie-Christine de Habsbourg-Lorraine & Count Rodolphe de Limburg Stirum.

Archduke Imre & Archduchess Kathleen de Habsbourg-Lorraine.

Archduchess Gabriella and Archduke Alexander de Habsbourg-Lorraine.

Prince Sébastien and Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg.

Queen Sofia and Princess Irene of Greece.

Prince Félix & Princess Claire of Luxembourg.

Prince Louis & Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, with their sons Gabriel and Noah de Nassau.

Expo "Nervia/Sint-Martens-Latem"

8 January 2016

Queen Mathilde visited the art exhibition "Nervia/Sint-Martens-Latem" at the Museum of Ixelles.

Clotilde Boël acted as lady-in-waiting.