Queen Mathilde is gearing up for a series of mental health and exercise outings ahead of her 50th birthday in January.
The Royal Palace announced that in the coming months ahead of the Queen’s birthday, a series of walks or cycling outings will be organised in all of Belgium’s provinces, with mental health organisations from each area.
Queen Mathilde’s 50th birthday celebrations are being billed as ‘Moving Together for Mental Health’ and will see 20-kilometre walks or 30-kilometre bike rides in every part of Belgium.
The first mental health cycling trip will take place on 13 July in West Flanders when Queen Mathilde bikes with the residents of Licht & Liefde, who are blind or visually impaired, and those living with disabilities or vulnerabilities who use the services of UNIE-K, Oranje, and ‘t Veldzicht.
Queen Mathilde’s itinerary will have a cycling trip in East Flanders that includes youth and employees of the youth welfare organisation De Plek, burn patients, and G cyclists; while in Liège, she will walk with institutionalised young people who require special care; and in Namur, she will walk with patients and staff of the Walloon League for Mental Health; and in Antwerp, employees of Young Fenix will walk with her.
According to the Royal Palace, Queen Mathilde’s walks and cycling trips will focus “on the sporty character of the tour and the informal meetings with the people who ride or walk along.”
‘Moving Together for Mental Health’ begins in mid-July and will continue through to December. The Belgian Royal Palace will announce each walk and cycle trip ahead of time.
Queen Mathilde celebrates her 50th birthday on 20 January 1973. She was born in Uccle and is the first Belgian woman to be a queen of the country.
