donderdag 28 maart 2024

Meeting with Working Students

27 March 2024

Queen Mathilde had a meeting at the Royal Palace with four young students who combine their academic career with a job, to finance their studies.

woensdag 27 maart 2024

Flashback: European Youth Orchestra

27 March 2003

Princess Mathilde was at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels to attend a concert of the European Youth Orchestra.



Mathilde was 4 months pregnant with her second child, Gabriel.

dinsdag 26 maart 2024

Flashback: Luxembourg State Visit to Belgium

20 March 2007

State banquet in honour of Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg at the castle of Laeken, hosted by King Albert II & Queen Paola.



Also present: Crown Prince Philippe & Princess Mathilde, Queen Fabiola, Princess Astrid & Prince Lorenz, Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg & Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein.

















21 March 2007

Return event hosted by the Grand Dukes, at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.






When they left the formidable Queen Fabiola insisted that Mathilde should wear her fur jacket and not get cold...


maandag 25 maart 2024

Jewels: Butterfly Brooch

At the banquet during the state visit to Denmark in March 2017, Queen Mathilde wore this gorgeous diamond brooch in the shape of a butterfly.


It was purchased at auction from Drouot's (Paris) in October 2014, for € 8.400 by French jeweller Martin du Daffoy, who can be found at the Place Vendôme in Paris.



The brooch was made around 1900. It was described in the catalogue as:

Importante BROCHE DE CORSAGE en platine (900 millièmes) et or gris (750 millièmes) ajouré serti de diamants taille ancienne de forme coussin dont sept plus importants, et de diamants taillés en rose, à motifs de volutes, rinceaux et fleurs stylisées. Vers 1900. Dim.: 8 x 5,5 cm. Poids brut: 33,4 g



Even though Martin du Daffoy stated the brooch was still in their possession, Mathilde was again seen with the same model in October 2017, at the cremation ceremony for the late King Bhumibol of Thailand ...


... And in July 2018, at the Australian state visit to Belgium.


In 2022 she wore it to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.


And in 2023 to King Charles's Coronation.


In 2024 Mathilde chose the brooch for a visit to Buckingham Palace.

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