This year was a milestone year for the Belgian royal family for many reasons: King Philippe celebrated his 10th birthdayth On Coronation Day, Queen Mathilde celebrated her 50th birthday.th As she celebrated her birthday, Princess Elisabeth continued to shine on the world stage.
Of these events, it was business as usual in Belgium and we covered a number of key articles on our site. Let’s check it out!
Queen Mathilde celebrates her 50th birthdayth To mark her birthday on January 20th, the Belgian royal family has unveiled a new portrait. She also gave interviews where she talked about mental health and was featured on a commemorative stamp. Of course, we couldn’t let this occasion pass without remembering her wedding day. And here’s a party trick for you: how to get Queen Mathilde to be your child’s godmother!
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In January, members of the Belgian royal family attended Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral, but were part of a very small royal contingent. In February, Queen Mathilde visited Bangladesh on behalf of the United Nations. Their Majesties visited families affected by the earthquake, and King Albert and Princess Delphine appeared affectionate in public.
Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth have announced a three-day visit to Egypt, scheduled for March. We reflected on the beloved queen who inspired this tour, and how she wasn’t afraid of the so-called curse of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. When the tour took place, we followed in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth and covered Princess Elizabeth.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde made a historic state visit to South Africa in March, resulting in…King of Skateboarding? Now you can see everything!
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In April, new photos of King Philippe and Princess Eleonore were released on their birthday, and in May, Queen Mathilde and Prince Emmanuel took part in the races.
In June, King Philip visited the UK for the Chelsea Pension Fund Founders’ Day Parade, and later that month King Albert was hospitalized for dehydration, which we covered here. We covered his July release here.
As King Philip prepares to celebrate his 10th anniversary on the throne, we take a look at aspects of his reign here, including his relationship with the church, the Jubilee Garden Party (more details here), his installations, and how he is called. I took up. Country (King/Queen of Belgium, not Belgium!).
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We also see a new bust of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in the Belgian Senate, a new commemorative portrait, how a museum in Brussels honored him, and how Queen Mathilde was a great wife on the day he became king. I also looked into his childhood and the speeches he gave. He thanked the Belgian people for their “great sense of solidarity” during the first decade of his reign and for the tributes they paid to King Albert and Baudouin.
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Read King Philip’s memoirs of the first decade of his reign here. We covered the splendid costumes for National Foundation Day, which coincides with King Philip’s 10th anniversary.th Anniversary is here.
In June, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a special visit, and the two countries’ monarchs celebrated their 10th anniversary on the throne.th Anniversary of each throne.
Princess Elizabeth revealed that she will be undergoing further military training over the summer, which we covered here. She also looked into her role within the royal family and how she’s preparing for her future. And he cited research showing that many Belgians expect her to take over quickly.
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In September, we also covered her oath of office, which solidified her role as his successor. In October, she traveled to Copenhagen for Prince Christian’s 18th birthday celebrations.th At her birthday celebration, we covered the historic tiara she wore. She turned 22 at the end of October and we covered it here. Her December engagement was her third solo engagement in her royal career, which we covered here.
Over the summer, the Belgian Royal Family paid tribute to King Baudouin, the popular and beloved king who died in 1993 due to complications from heart surgery. Many tributes have been paid to him, who had many royal connections.
In September, Queen Mathilde traveled to New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly. A new photo of Prince Emmanuel, who turned 18 in October, has been released.
After the terrorist attacks in Brussels in mid-October, the royal family attended a memorial service and we covered how the threat level was being handled. Despite the attack, quiet state visits from Portugal continued. At the end of the month, it was announced that Their Majesties would make a state visit to Germany in December (see the report here).
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In November, King Philippe paid tribute to the war dead. And in December, her leaked letters revealed that Princess Delphine was seeking a greater public presence rather than the same benefits as her siblings. The Belgian royal family has released a Christmas portrait as a letter from her aunt becomes a hot topic.
At the end of the royal year, King Philip delivered his annual Christmas speech, setting out his hopes for 2024.
Elsewhere, we covered the line of succession to the Belgian throne (spoiler: Princess Elisabeth, then the rest of her siblings) and the jewels in the vaults. We also covered the birth of Belgium’s newest royal baby, Princess Alix (her parents are Prince Amadeo and Princess Elisabetta).
What will 2024 bring for the Belgian royal family? Royal Central will be sure to cover it.