Royal Insight Forum

Royal Wedding Rewind: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-king-philippe-and-queen-mathilde-of-the-belgians-2-153182/) :fireworks: :milestone:- (The European royals forums were closed at this time last year on their 20th anniversary  so I am noting this milestone on their 21st anniversary.)  Hard to believe that in the next  four years we'll very likely see the 20th anniversaries for TRH Haakon/Mette Marit, TM W-A and Maxima, TRH Frederik and Mary, and TM Felipe and Letizia.

QuotePhilippe and Mathilde have since enjoyed a famously happy marriage and have welcomed four children ? Elisabeth (2001), Gabriel (2003), Emmanuel (2005) and Eleonore (2008). Seven years into their tenure as King and Queen of the Belgians, they remain popular and dedicated. It?s a path that can be traced all the way back to that royal wedding that took place twenty one years ago today.

A place to post about birthdays, personal anniversaries and other milestones.


:bday7: Happy Birthday to Queen Mathilde of the Belgians.

I remember this wedding and how emotional Mathilde was during the ceremony. They are a good match, they seem just what the other needed.

I like how Princess Mathilde smiles at Prince Philippe.   
The Wedding Of Prince Philippe Of Belgium And Miss Mathilde D'udekem... News Photo - Getty Images (http://www.gettyimages.com/license/52112698)  :D :D :D :D :D :D

King Philippe thanks the public for his birthday wishes. He turned 61 today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNrKcaWHC0f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Princess Eleonore is 13 today.

 :bday:  :bdaycake: It's definitely a busy birthday week for the Laken Palace baker!

Happy 87th Birthday to King Albert.

Not a birthday but a pretty big milestone. Elisabeth has completed her one year of military training.

Fin d?ann?e ? l?Ecole Royale Militaire pour la princesse Elisabeth ? Noblesse & Royaut?s (http://www.noblesseetroyautes.com/fin-dannee-a-lecole-royale-militaire-pour-la-princesse-elisabeth/)

It will be interesting to learn what her plans for the fall are.  :flower3:

Next would be study at a University somewhere in Belgium I suppose, followed by maybe a Masters perhaps in the US or UK.

Quote from: Curryong on July 02, 2021, 01:59:46 AM
Next would be study at a University somewhere in Belgium I suppose, followed by maybe a Masters perhaps in the US or UK.

Be interesting to see where she chooses.

She will be the first senior member of her family (born) to attend a civilian college in Belgium. Her dad and Uncle did their studies at the military academy (Philippe later went to Oxford and then his graduate at Stanford). Astrid studied in Switzerland and Michigan (and a year in the Netherlands). Her cousins have all studied abroad.

I wouldn't be surprised if she followed her mother's example and attended the Universit? catholique de Louvain.

Prince Gabriel's 18th birthday today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSyX1miI0MF/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSyPI5jIERQ/

And though we don't know about Elizabeth's plans for the year, we now know what Gabriel will be doing. Not the military academy like his sister, he will be going to school in the UK.

 :bday7: To Prince Gabriel who seems destined to be one of Europe's tallest princes in the near future.  :happy:

Happy 33rd Birthday to Princess Maria Laura.

Happy 62nd Wedding Anniversary to King Albert and Queen Paola.

Happy 84th Birthday to Queen Paola.

Happy 37th Wedding Anniversary to Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz.

Astrid was the first of Albert and Paola's children to marry . Here's an older blog post about their wedding with good photos and a short video of their engagement interview. And if you thought Diana's wedding dress had puffy sleeves, well they pale in comparison to Astrid's.  :wink:

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Royal Wedding Anniversary of the Week: September 24 (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2014/09/royal-wedding-anniversary-of-week_24.html)

Happy 16th Birthday to Prince Emmanuel.

A little more on Prince Emmanuel.
Who is Prince Emmanuel of Belgium? ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/who-is-prince-emmanuel-of-belgium-166528/)

QuoteOctober is a month of royal birthdays, and two of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium?s children celebrate their arrival into the world this month.

Prince Emmanuel of Belgium is the first birthday of the month. His Royal Highness was born on the 4th of October 2005 in ?rasme d?Anderlecht Hospital in Brussels, the third child and second son of the then-Duke and Duchess of Brabant, now King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

He was christened on the 10th of December of the same year. According to Roman Catholic tradition, he had one godfather, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, and one godmother, his maternal aunt, Countess Elisabeth d?Udekem d?Acoz.

His education was on the path of looking more or less the same as his siblings, with Prince Emmanuel attending St John Berchman?s College in Brussels like his sister Elisabeth and brother Gabriel had done before him. However, a diagnosis of dyslexia in 2012 prompted his parents to send him to Eureka Special School in Kessel-Lo, a small town outside of Brussels. The school caters to children of normal intelligence and gifted children that have dyslexia.

This early dyslexia diagnosis represented a first in the royal world, with many other royals suffering from it but only getting diagnosed with it at a much older age. This could have something to do with Queen Mathilde being a licensed speech therapist who had her own activity before becoming a member of the Royal Family and therefore being somewhat trained to recognise speech impediments even in young children. Of course, this has never been confirmed, as the Royal Household only revealed that Prince Emmanuel had changed schools because of a dyslexia diagnosis.

Happy birthday to Prince Emmanuel  :flower3:

@TLLK The article is incorrect when it says it was a first for Emmanuel to be diagnosed so young, among royal. Beatrice mentioned recently in he dyslexia work that she was diagnosed at 7 and how the early intervention was key for her. Like Emmanuel, the choice for schooling for Beatrice was also shaped by getting her the best support for it. Its unfortunate so many of the older royals struggled through school with it because it was undiagnosed for so long. I remember Victoria speaking about being bullied in school as kids thought her slow.

Two kids off in the UK (one university and one doing their a levels) and now a 16 year old. Wonder if the parents are feeling old yet  :laugh10:

@TudorQueen -Yes that is true. I don't know why some of the bloggers don't do a little more research. Now that I think about it, I recall  that CP Victoria was another royal who was diagnosed during her elementary school years with dyslexia. I believe that her brother Carl Phillip also is dyslexic.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Swedish princess reveals bullying secret (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2190830.stm)

It is very unfortunate that others were not diagnosed early on, as they likely struggled not only with their school work but low self-esteem.

 Victoria?s father King Carl Gustav suffered from dyslexia all his life and his wasn?t diagnosed for many years. I don?t recall reading that he was bullied at school, but having four older sisters who, though they loved him very much were inclined to be bossy, probably kept him in place! The King has spoken about feeling bad and bewildered about his school work etc not being up to scratch, and that must have been a source of distress.

His mother Sybilla was reputedly a very quiet and repressed woman after her husband?s death and the children were brought  up in a different floor of the Palace to her rooms. They loved their affectionate old nanny who devoted herself to them but Carl Gustav also sought out male role models like his uncle Bertil and security policemen. His lack of a father growing up (his mother never spoke of him to her children) affected CG all his life and he?s spoken a little about that too.

Dyslexia seems to run through the Scandi royals (who have of course intermarried over the centuries) as apparently several Norwegian royals have also suffered from it in various forms. In the days when children were just considered stupid and it remained undiagnosed, it must have been awful.

Haakon hasnt called it dyslexia, but he has spoken of reading problems and that his grandfather had them as well.

QuoteI recognise myself a little in some of what you are talking about. I also have some writing difficulties, but not very much. I have always read slowly and write many mistakes. It is something that comes from my family. My grandfather was also open about his writing and reading difficulties. It skipped my dad. He reads very fast, but I think it is very difficult.?

Crown Prince Haakon meets young people struggling with dyslexia and dyscalculia ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/norway/crown-prince-haakon-meets-young-people-struggling-with-dyslexia-and-dyscalculia-156006/)

His Aunt Princess Astrid has been vocal of her struggles with it and has served as patron of Norway's dyslexic association.

I don't believe any of the Danes have or have never made it public.

Who knows how many historical royals were sadly classed as slow or such because of no comprehension of such issues.

Yes, I remember reading about the Norwegian royals and Astrid?s struggles with it. Wrong thread, but I have spoken here about my theory involving Edward VII having dyslexia before. He was no student to say the least and was often spanked by his father for being disruptive in the classroom. If he did have it (and Victoria spoke about him ?never opening a book? as an adult) that may explain the Norwegians (re Maud) and maybe it escaped into the Swedes through Queen Victoria?s granddaughter Daisy Connaught, though she herself was free of it. Just a thought.

Happy 18th birthday to Princess Josephine of Belgium.

Happy 20th Birthday to Princess Elisabeth.

Goodness me, is Elizabeth 20 already. Happy birthday Princess Elizabeth! The years have certainly flown since her early teens!

A new picture has been released to mark the birthday.

https://twitter.com/MonarchieBe/status/1452530385737461761?s=20

A lovely photo. She?s finished her semester at Lincoln College I suppose.

 :bday3:  Wishing Princess Elisabeth a very happy day. On Sunday Oct. 31, another heiress to the throne will celebrate her birthday too, Princess Leonor of Spain.

New photo released to mark Princess Elisabeth?s 20th birthday ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/new-photo-released-to-mark-princess-elisabeths-20th-birthday-167451/)

QuotePrincess Elisabeth Theresia Maria Helena was born on 25 October 2001 in the Erasmus Hospital in Brussels. She is the first child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians. She has three younger siblings: Prince Gabriel (18), Prince Emmanuel (16) and Princess El?onore (13).

Elisabeth became the heir apparent to the Belgian throne upon the abdication of her grandfather, King Albert II, in 2013. If she ascends the throne one day as expected, she will be Belgium?s first queen regnant.

Quote from: Curryong on October 25, 2021, 01:13:01 PM
A lovely photo. She?s finished her semester at Lincoln College I suppose.

No. The term only started October 10. Looked up Lincoln schedule, they have 3 terms. This term ends December 4.
Dates of Term | University of Oxford (https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/dates-of-term)

It seems the photo comes from the photos released when she started at Oxford.Its the same outfit she was wearing for many of the photos. Just a photo from the session we didnt see before.

Happy birthday to Elisabeth :flower3: The first of this generation of heirs to start University. Still hard to believe.

On Dec. 4, TM the King and Queen of the Belgians will celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary. :wed:

More on this couple's wedding information from 1999 can be found here.

Benelux Royal Weddings: Belgium, the NL, Luxembourg (http://www.royalinsight.net/forum/index.php?topic=94958.0)

Happy 22nd Wedding Anniversary to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

Happy 30th Birthday to Prince Joachim.

Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz announce the engagement of their daughter Princess Maria Laura to William Isvy.  :vday2:

Here's a close up photo of her diamond and sapphire engagement ring as well as photos of the couple.  :Jen:

https://www.instagram.com/royaladdicted_new/p/CX-5dYyMEZ-/?utm_medium=copy_link

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium to marry French-born William Isvy ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/princess-maria-laura-of-belgium-to-marry-french-born-william-isvy-170235/)

QuoteThe year had one last happy surprise in store for the Belgian Royal Family. Princess Maria Laura is getting married to William Isvy.

Her parents, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, announced the engagement earlier today with a picture portraying the couple hugging and smiling. The bride-to-be received a ring with a round sapphire surrounded by a twist of diamonds, a modern play on the traditional halo format of engagement rings.

The couple has not yet announced a wedding date, but the wedding is to take place in the second half of 2022.

The groom is an asset manager in a London firm, while the Princess works as an analyst in the climate change sector, also in the British capital. The couple has lived there for a few years.

Lovely couple! A wedding to look forward to in 2022.

Happy 48th Birthday to Princess Claire.

Happy 49th Birthday to Queen Mathilde.

A new photo of Queen Mathilde was released in honor of her 49th birthday.  :bday:

Belgian Royal Palace releases new photo of Queen Mathilde to mark 49th birthday ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/belgian-royal-palace-releases-new-photo-of-queen-mathilde-to-mark-49th-birthday-171397/)

QuoteThe Belgian Royal Palace has released a new photograph of Queen Mathilde as she marks her 49th birthday today.

The image was taken by Bas Bogaerts in the Royal Domain of Laeken ? a private park on the grounds of the Palace of Laeken in Brussels.

Happy 18th Birthday to Princess Louise.

Happy 36th Birthday to Prince Amedeo

Today marked the 14th birthday of Eleanore. Happy  birthday to the princess  :flower3: :bday10: :bday:

Sweet photo of her with the family dogs to celebrate   :hearts:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcZxvmWNy_p/

And not to be forgotten, the day before was her father's aka King Philippe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcXM7z-sQ0z/

Happy 38th Wedding Anniversary to Princess Astrid and Archduke Lorenz.

Happy 21st Birthday to Princess Elisabeth.

 21 already. She grew up so fast! Happy birthday Princess Elizabeth!

Happy 21st Birthday to Elisabeth!  :bday7:

The Court released two new portraits of the Duchess of Brabant.
Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "? La Princesse Elisabeth f?te ses 21 ans aujourd?hui ! Que lui souhaitez-vous pour son anniversaire ? ?? ????? ? (https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIDfzHoIwA/?hl=en)

That is a stunning portrait of the Duchess. Elizabeth is a lovely young woman.

Happy birthday to the princess :bday: :bday10:

Hard to believe 21. Stunning portrait

Is Christmas a milestone? Anyway a gorgeous Christmas photo has been issued, with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and their four lovely offspring, now grownup and all looking very happy. The Belgian RF always looks incredibly close!

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium on Instagram: "#NEW | The Royal Palace released a new Christmas photo of King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, Crown Princess (https://www.instagram.com/p/CmLG9VTI-db/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D)

Belated Happy Birthday to Princess Clarie!

:bday:

Queen Mathilde celebrates her 50th birthday on January 20th.
:bday7:

Happy birthday to Queen Mathilde, who imho has been a terrific Queen Consort, wife and mother.

The Belgian Court released two new photos of Queen Mathilde as well as a postage stamp to celebrate her 50th birthday. @Curryong-Yes she is a terrific Queen Consort, wife and mother!

Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "? Houra, la Reine f?te ses 50 ans aujourd?hui ! Pour marquer le coup, nous partageons deux nouvelles photos d?elle (https://www.instagram.com/p/CnnwDTdMiRh/?hl=en)

Video of the postage stamp production. Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "?De postbode bracht? de nieuwe postzegel van de Koningin! ? Het gaat om een unieke postzegel die samen met @bpost (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnojp9cru7-/?hl=en)

Wishing Princess Eleanore a very Happy 15th Birthday today. The Palace has released two new portraits of the Princess.  :bday10:

Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "? Gelukkige 15e verjaardag, Prinses El?onore! ? Foto?s van de Prinses in het Koninklijk Domein van Laken, door Bas (https://www.instagram.com/p/CrFn4oZpSvE/?hl=en)

 A belated Happy 63rd Birthday to HM the King who celebrated his day on April 15th.  :bday:

Belgian Royal Palace releases new photos of King and daughter for their birthdays ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/belgian-royal-palace-releases-new-photos-of-king-and-daughter-for-their-birthdays-188319/)

It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since the abdication of King Albert II and the ascension of King Phillipe.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde host garden party to celebrate 10 years on the throne ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/king-philippe-and-queen-mathilde-host-garden-party-to-celebrate-10-years-on-the-throne-189610/)

Quote023 is set to be one of the most important celebration years when it comes to European monarchies: the coronation of King Charles III in the UK, the Golden Jubilee for King Carl XVI Gustaf in Sweden, and the tenth-anniversary celebrations for the reigns of King Willem-Alexander in the Netherlands and King Philippe in Belgium.

The latter organised a garden party to celebrate this important milestone, with 600 guests joining the Royal Family on the grounds of Laeken Castle for the festivities.

King Philippe invited 600 people from all over Belgium and offered them a walk through the grounds and greenhouses of the Laeken estate. Throughout the walk, guests had an opportunity to enjoy five separate artistic performances (classical music, circus, dance, singing, and magic) from Belgian artists, which highlighted the cultural richness of the country.

During the walk, King Philippe and the rest of his family chatted with some of the guests. The afternoon was closed by a ?festive reception,? according to the description given by the Royal Palace.

July 31, 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the death of King Baudoin of the Belgians. He died unexpectedly at his holiday home in Motril,Spain.

Login ? Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CvU0LXmIe-P/?img_index=7)

The Brussels Times (https://www.brusselstimes.com/625158/thirty-years-ago-today-belgium-unexpectedly-lost-king-baudouin)

QuoteMonday marks the 30th anniversary of the sudden death of Baudouin, the fifth King of the Belgians, who died at the age of 62 from cardiac arrest at the royal country residence in Motril, Spain after 42 years of kingship.

Yes, that was the most tremendous shock to people all over Europe, even rousing Queen Elizabeth from her sacrosanct Balmoral holidays to go to his funeral. Baudoin certainly wasn?t an old man and I still think that the depredations that he, his siblings, father and stepmother suffered at the very end of WW2 probably had something to do with his health problems later on. And so Albert took over, something he and his playboy lifestyle weren?t really prepared for.

No he was not an old man and he appeared to be physically fit and active. I agree with you that it is possible that he had an underlying condition that could have been brought on by the lack of food that he and his family experienced at the end of WWII.
When his death was announced, there seemed to be a real confusion as to who would be the next king. While Albert was the next person in the line of succession, Phillipe had been groomed to be the next monarch. While Albert's reign did end in scandal, I do believe that it was best to have Phillipe wait until he was married and had a family. Mathilde has certainly been a strong support and has helped with Phillipe's sometimes awkward personality.

Yes I think Mathilde has been a terrific consort, cheerful, happy, supportive, down to earth somehow. And their children the same. If Philippe is a bit nerdish, well, people are used to him now. And Albert seemingly really tried and succeeded in his kingship role. It was a great pity that he and Paola seemed to live separate lives for many years. Not a good look for the BRF.

Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabeth of the Belgians (Astrid and Lorenzo's son) welcomed their third child last week.

Point De Vue on Instagram: "? #breakingnews ! ? Le prince Amedeo de Belgique et son ?pouse la princesse Elisabetta ont la grande joie d'annoncer la (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwxp1ZvrgVL/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ%3D%3D)

Quote from: TLLK on September 04, 2023, 04:43:48 PM
Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabeth of the Belgians (Astrid and Lorenzo's son) welcomed their third child last week.

Point De Vue on Instagram: "? #breakingnews ! ? Le prince Amedeo de Belgique et son ?pouse la princesse Elisabetta ont la grande joie d'annoncer la (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwxp1ZvrgVL/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ%3D%3D)

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on September 04, 2023, 11:14:07 PM
   

The photograph of the new Prince is a delight. It will be interesting to learn his name.

Slight correction, the couple's third child is a girl and her name is Alix.

Quote from: TLLK on September 05, 2023, 04:39:08 PM
Slight correction, the couple's third child is a girl and her name is Alix.

Happy Belated Birthday to Queen Paola.  :bday:

Also turning 18 this month is Belgium's Prince Emmanuel who is the youngest son of the the King and Queen. The Palace has shared several photos of him over the years.

Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "? Prins Emmanuel wordt 18 jaar op 4 oktober. We blikken even terug op een aantal mooie momenten uit zijn jeugd. (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx5wNSdMb7g/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ%3D%3D&img_index=10)

 :bday7:  Happy 18th Birthday to Prince Emmanuel of Belgium. New photos of the prince were released today.

New photos of Prince Emmanuel of Belgium released as he turns 18 ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/new-photos-of-prince-emmanuel-of-belgium-released-as-he-turns-18-193661/)

The Duchess of Brabant celebrates her 22nd Birthday today. The Palace has released new photos to mark the day.  :bday:

Belgian Royal Palace on Instagram: "?? Prinses Elisabeth viert vandaag haar 22ste verjaardag! ? Ze is net begonnen aan het laatste jaar van haar (https://www.instagram.com/p/CyzeLktrCFD/?hl=en&img_index=1)

 :bday7:  Happy 18th birthday to Princes Nicholas and Arymeic!

Happy 64th Birthday to King Philippe of Belgium

Happy sweet 16th, Princess Eléonore! King Philippe of Belgium's daughter is radiant as she poses for new portraits to mark her birthday

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13313767/Happy-sweet-16th-Princess-El-onore-King-Philippe-Belgiums-daughter-radiant-poses-new-portraits-mark-birthday.html