Belgium

New coins and stamps celebrate Queen Mathilde's 50th birthday

Queen Mathilde will grace Belgian coins and stamps in honour of her 50th birthday, the Belgian Royal Mint has announced. The Belgian queen will feature on a 12.5 Euro gold coin with her husband’s profile on the back—the first time that King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will be displayed together on a commemorative coin. It is legal tender in Belgium, and only 2,500 coins have been…
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Belgium

Queen Mathilde - the quiet queen who became the first Belgian born consort

Queen Mathilde of Belgium is celebrating her 50th birthday on January 20th. Born Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz on 20 January 1973, she was the oldest of five children born to Count and Countess Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz in Uccles, Belgium. Her early schooling saw her study in Bastogne and Brussels, and her later studies saw her receive a diploma in…
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BelgiumSpain

A small royal delegation braves the cold to bid farewell to Pope Benedict XVI at his funeral

It was a chilly & foggy morning in Vatican City on 5th January, a somber day for the city state as they laid Pope Benedict XVI to rest. St Peter’s Square welcomed world leaders and dignitaries from across the globe, including a small delegation of royals, led by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians and Queen Sofía of Spain. The funeral service began at 9:25am local time…
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Belgium

YEAR IN REVIEW: Belgium's 2022 gives the country hope for the future

Belgium’s royal year was filled with joy, grief, and historic firsts. 2022 was opened with the death of Prince Lorenz’s mother, Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, Archduchess of Austria-Este, aged 91, on 10 January. Princess Astrid’s mother-in-law was laid to rest almost 20 days later, on 29 January, in a ceremony in Switzerland that also saw King Philippe present. In…
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