Crown Prince Philippe and Crown Princess Mathilde: July 2004 - October 2004

[lucys]

One of my two favorite Crown Princely couples! Thanks for the great photos.

 

[Mette2]

If you go to www.vrtnieuws.net, click on magazine to the left and then scroll down you'll (hopefully) find: Filip, Mathilde en de kinderen vastgelegd op foto. Click on that and there's a small video about Olivier Polet and his new foto book and in the video images of Philippe, Mathilde, Elisabeth, and Gabriel are also shown. (Well that probably goes without saying since it's a book about them).

 

[Lena]

What a wonderful book...and what an great idea to promote the Royal family! Mathilde and Phillippe have chosen an interesting way to deal with the press. In general they don´t search for attention, but they know that the people also want to see private pictures. And here this book (and this TV-documentary a few months ago) is the best and probably the least "harming" way (the children seldom get in touch with the whole pack of photographers)

 

[Hannelore]

What a wonderful book...and what an great idea to promote the Royal family! Mathilde and Phillippe have chosen an interesting way to deal with the press. In general they don´t search for attention, but they know that the people also want to see private pictures. And here this book (and this TV-documentary a few months ago) is the best and probably the least "harming" way (the children seldom get in touch with the whole pack of photographers)

Exactly Lena!

They have developped a good relationship with both the Belgians and the press like this, without exposing their children to too much media attention.

 

[Hannelore]

from the benelux board:

29/09/2004


Princess Mathilde has handed out the Europa Donna award in the palais des académies in Brussels. It's a new award, that rewards a Belgian person or institution that fights against breast cancer. Europa Donna is a non-profit-making organisation, a pan-European movement against breast cancer.

 

[Hannelore]

more pictures of the duchess at the conference for 25 years foster care and handing out the oswald prize:

 

[Hannelore]

Filip & Mathilde at the new year's reception for members of the European Comission, at the royal palace of Brussels, 2003.

 

[ILoveCristina]

All these photos are great! Thanks for posting!!

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Mathilde at her office in the royal palace of Brussels. Her office is one floor above her husband's

photo: Olivier Polet.

photo: Olivier Polet

 

[Alexandria]

Thanks for the latest picturs Catherine, particularly the ones from Olivier Polet's book. How big is the royal palace that Phillippe and Mathilde and their children live in?

 

[lucys]

Mathilde at her office in the royal palace of Brussels. Her office is one floor above her husband's

photo: Olivier Polet.

I've seen some people on royal boards complain that she is too conservative, too "vanilla". All I see when I look at her is a classy, elegant woman who doesn't need to dress in extravagant outfits to get attention. Her class and demenour are sufficient. She is lovely, dignified, poised and warm. This photo really captures that quiet, confident elegance.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

I've seen some people on royal boards complain that she is too conservative, too "vanilla". All I see when I look at her is a classy, elegant woman who doesn't need to dress in extravagant outfits to get attention. Her class and demenour are sufficient. She is lovely, dignified, poised and warm. This photo really captures that quiet, confident elegance.

Of course you can never be perfect for everyone. In Belgium her style isn't considered as conservative, but as elegant, refined and very chic.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

How big is the royal palace that Phillippe and Mathilde and their children live in?

It's quite big. they live in the castle of Laeken, which is surrounded by a park. It's also used for official occasions at times. I believe the family lives in the left wing of the castle.

Mind you their offices are in the palace of Brussels, not the castle of Laeken.

here are some pictures of their home:

 

[Alexandria]

Thank you Catherine for the exterior pictures of Laeken.

Nice that there is a park nearby where Elisabeth and Gabriel can roam and play freely.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

photos: Olivier Polet

very nice picture of Philippe, by Olivier Polet.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

From 4 to 8 October 2004, the duke of Brabant is on EM to Algeria and Tunisia. (without Mathilde this time). He's accompanied by a large delegation of business men and by federal minister Verwilghen, minister of economy and foreign trade.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

01/10/2004

From Hellomagazine:

A longtime champion of a number of social causes, Princess Mathilde of Belgium met with some elderly citizens in Brussels last week as she attended an academic seminar on ageing at Erasme Hospital.

The princess, who is married to Crown Prince Philippe, was clearly enjoying her chance to mingle with the older set, a radiant smile seldom leaving her face. Dressed for autumn in a chocolate-coloured floral-patterned jacket, the popular royal took time to have one-to-one chats with a number of the enthusiastic grey-haired attendees.

While some opted to speak with Mathilde about issues concerning the topic at hand – the ageing of the Belgian population – others seemed thrilled just to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shake hands with the future queen.

 

[Eliza]

You just got to love her! I think among all the cp, Pss Mathilde is the most down to earth, humble and lovest. She comes across very sincere too. And together with Phillipe, they make a beautiful couple, seeing them together is like seeing two halves come together.

 

[Ennyllorac]

You just got to love her! I think among all the cp, Pss Mathilde is the most down to earth, humble and lovest. She comes across very sincere too. And together with Phillipe, they make a beautiful couple, seeing them together is like seeing two halves come together.

She appears to be a genuinely kind person!

 

[Amira]

Le prince Philippe de Belgique à Tunis



[size=-1]TUNIS (AP) - Le prince Philippe de Belgique a entamé mercredi une visite officielle de trois jours en Tunisie à la tête d'une importante délégation officielle accompagnée par 147 chefs d'entreprises.

Au cours de son séjour, le prince Philippe doit être reçu par le président tunisien Zine El Abidine Ben Ali et aura des entretiens avec le Premier ministre Mohamed Ghannouchi et plusieurs membres du gouvernement dont les ministres des Affaires étrangères, Habib Ben Yahia et du Commerce, Mondher Zénaïdi.

De leur côté, les hommes d'affaires belges assisteront avec leurs homologues tunisiens à une journée de partenariat qui sera scellée par un accord de coopération.

La Belgique, qui accueille une communauté tunisienne forte de 16.000 personnes, est le 5ème partenaire économique de la Tunisie où sont implantées 224 entreprises belges employant 25.000 personnes. Elles opèrent dans divers secteurs d'activité dont le textile-habillement, les industries électriques et électroniques, l'agroalimentaire et les cuirs et chaussures.

Les touristes belges se rendent de plus en plus nombreux en Tunisie. Les prévisions tablent sur 150.000 visiteurs en 2004.

A la fin de sa visite officielle, le prince Philippe effectuera un séjour privé dans le sud tunisien où il fera la découverte des palmeraies réputées pour leurs dattes exportées dans le monde entier pour leur qualité mielleuse et ne manquera pas d'assister au mirage du désert dans la région saharienne de Tozeur-Nefta. AP

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[Amira]

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[Cathérine Bergeyck]

I hope you don't mind I post the pictures again, Amira, I can't see anything at the links...

Prince Philippe accompanied by Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi
upon his arrival at the airport in Tunis 06 October 2004.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

with Tunisian Foreign Minister Habib Ben Yahia, 07 October 2004 at the residence of Prince Gammarth in the suburbs of Tunis.

and a visit to Anthonin Therm at the archeological site of Carthage, 07 October 2004 in Tunis.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

07/10/2004

Today princess Mathilde made two visits in the city Liège.

She went to the psychiatric hospital of Liège,where she visited the ward 'Fil à fil', specialized in the psychiatric guidance between parents and children. They want to help parents with psychological problems in the expression of emotions towards their children. Mathilde met them and the hospital staff.

Afterwards she went to the Collectif des violences familiales et l'exclusion (a refugee center for beaten women), she had a private meeting with the women (not at the place where they are staying because their address has to stay anonymous).

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

more pictures

 

[ILoveCristina]

Mathilde looked great, as usual!!

 

[Hannelore]

I think she's been shopping for some chequered jackets recently...

 

[ILoveCristina]

or buy 2 get 1 free?

 

[Hannelore]

A few years ago: Filip and Mathilde at an official visit in France.

 

[Hannelore]

I read this on the benelux board:

Mathilde's visit to Mali postponed.

The Belgian minister of foreign aid, Armand De Decker, who accompanies Mathilde on the official visit to Mali, broke both his arms when he fell of a stairs in Hanoi this week.



They should've left 18th October, the 3-day mission is postponed to the beginning of next year. source: hln.be