King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Family, General News 2, Sep. 2017 - Dec. 2023

[Marengo]

Arms of King Philippe​

Welcome to the King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Family, General News, Part 2

Commencing September 17, 2017 ​

The previous thread can be found here
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[iceflower]

.

Last weekend the Heritage Days (with this year's theme "Nature in the city") also took place in Brussels. In honour of this occasion King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and the children visited the Sewer Museum in Brussels on September 17:


** monarchie.be: Journées du Patrimoine - Musée des Egouts **

 

[leidi]

.

Last weekend the Heritage Days (with this year's theme "Nature in the city") also took place in Brussels. In honour of this occasion King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and the children visited the Sewer Museum in Brussels on September 17:


** monarchie.be: Journées du Patrimoine - Musée des Egouts **

Lord are they back to the 360px pictures and lack of Facebook/Twitter updates?

 

[eya]

Queen Mathilde represent the King Philippe at the Royal Cremation of King Bhumibol in Thailand on October 26

https://www.monarchie.be/fr/agenda/...du-defunt-roi-bhumibol-adulyadej-de-thailande

 

[Marchesina]

Lord are they back to the 360px pictures and lack of Facebook/Twitter updates?

oh no, again?! Please fire the webmaster

 

[eya]

New Beautiful photo of the King Philippe and Queen Mathilde !!

https://scontent.fath3-2.fna.fbcdn....=ff3ba0fcaa1cab433871ddd6c5213cee&oe=5A685185

Last week was autumn holidays for Belgian Royals. According Place Royale the family spent the holidays at the Castle Ciergnon

Enquête : qui a vu la famille royale ? ‹ RTLTVI


According the Belgian press two state visits for the next year 2018. The March in Canada ant the autumn Portugal!

The 6 favorite books of Queen Mathilde

Queen Mathilde: Mathilde's favorite books

 

[Countessmeout]

Last week was autumn holidays for Belgian Royals. According Place Royale the family spent the holidays at the Castle Ciergnon

Enquête : qui a vu la famille royale ? ‹ RTLTVI


According the Belgian press two state visits for the next year 2018. The March in Canada ant the autumn Portugal!

I thought the couple tend to use the nearby Fenffe castle, that Ciergnon is the getaway for Albert and Paola. Or did they start using Ciergnon when they came to the throne?

Beautiful castle, both of them. Wouldn't mind spending my break there.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I thought the couple tend to use the nearby Fenffe castle, that Ciergnon is the getaway for Albert and Paola. Or did they start using Ciergnon when they came to the throne?

Beautiful castle, both of them. Wouldn't mind spending my break there.

By my understanding former King Albert stopped the use of Ciergnon and Fenffe because he is left "poor" after his abdication. He had desavoued the Government for not maintaining certain promises made at the eve of his adbication. It seems he was worried how Queen Paola would be left once he was no more. Anyway, he makes only use of Bélvedère and their villa in Châteauneuf-sur-Grasse. Also his properties in Oostende and Knokke have been sold. Former Queen Paola bought an old vicarage near Fenffe as an alternative to the Château.

 

[Hannelore]

The vicarage was bought long before Albert II's abdication.

I think the real reason why Albert & Paola no longer use Ciergnon, is more practical. Since Albert's abdication they've hardly been in Belgium. They now live in Rome for most part of the year. The other times are spent travelling. I'd say they spend no more than a few weeks a year in Belgium.

 

[iceflower]

.

Queen Mathilde who celebrates her 45th birthday tomorrow already received a delicious-looking birthday cake by Hans Martens, winner of Bake Off Vlaanderen, who brought it to the Palace today:



** fb gallery **

 

[Mbruno]

Christmas Card from the Belgian Royal Family! Lovely photo!!

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUfkKFXz..._EkllqzQjVBACLcBGAs/s1600/DRVMzvtXUAcK3SS.jpg
https://scontent.fath3-2.fna.fbcdn....=e7cb8f28b814656b1bfe31fccb8541fc&oe=5AB87A8F

A beuatiful picture of a very good-looking family !

 

[eya]

"Bedankt voor uw verjaardagswensen!
Merci pour vos vœux d'anniversaire!
Danke für Ihre Geburtstagswünsche!
Thank you for your birthday wishes!"

https://scontent.fath3-2.fna.fbcdn....=49761be8d9e28e0c9574ac6f9088900e&oe=5AFC3E6A


A look back at the Queen Mathilde's life on her 45th Birthday

https://www.express.co.uk/news/roya...of-Belgium-pictures-45-birthday-King-Philippe

Winter Holidays for the Belgian Royal Family!!!

https://www.facebook.com/BeMonarchie/posts/2011122952484668

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfGyK71H_os/?taken-by=belgianroyalpalace
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfGyP7lnGaM/?taken-by=belgianroyalpalace
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfG1-Vhn7T6/?taken-by=placeroyale

Video with photos

https://soirmag.lesoir.be/139779/ar...le-conge-de-carnaval-verbier-photos-et-video#


Article

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5382537/Belgian-royals-enjoy-skiing-holiday-Verbier.html

 

[iceflower]

Here are more photos and two videos of the photosession. It took place in Verbier, Switzerland, today, February 12:


** gettyimages gallery ** belga gallery ** rex gallery ** nieuws.vtm.be video **


** vrt.be video and gallery: Koning Filip en zijn gezin brengen krokusvakantie op de latten door **

 

[Marengo]

Thanks Iceflower. It seems that Elisabeth, Gabriel and Emmanuel are all wearing braces.

 

[Hannelore]

Yes, the joys of being a teenager! Emmanuel started wearing them last summer. He was first seen with them at the 'party' (haha) for his grandma's 80th birthday.

 

[kathia_sophia]

Braces surely are "popular" among royal children/teens nowadays (Alexia uses them now too and Amalia did as well). Elisabeth is using them for a while now, but I didn't know Gabriel started using them too. Never got the experience of using braces, me and my brother always had space in the mouth for all the teeth.

Love the headband on Elisabeth, but since it's snowing, I don't think it was a smart choice, for fashion yes, for the weather no. Love the style of Queen Mathilde, and Gabriel is getting so tall now.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Nice to see the photos and video from the family's skiing holiday, it looks as if they are enjoying themselves - and it seems very snowy in Verbier! Were Philippe and Mathilde speaking French or Flemish in the video? I couldn't quite tell, but it sounded like French, which I was surprised by since I read that after they sent their children to Flemish speaking schools it was their first language at home (even though I am aware that most of the other Belgian royals are French speaking).

 

[Marchesina]

Nice to see the photos and video from the family's skiing holiday, it looks as if they are enjoying themselves - and it seems very snowy in Verbier! Were Philippe and Mathilde speaking French or Flemish in the video? I couldn't quite tell, but it sounded like French, which I was surprised by since I read that after they sent their children to Flemish speaking schools it was their first language at home (even though I am aware that most of the other Belgian royals are French speaking).

IIRC they've always been a francophone family, even though the children are going to a Flemish school. If you've listen them speaking in Flemish between them it is because, on "official" visits they tend to respect the language of the place they're visiting (if they're in Wallonia they will speak French, if in Flanders they will speak Flemish). But, in their private life, they still speak mostly French (I don't know if they still have their Flemish a nanny/governess with them who of course speaks flemish with them).

 

[leidi]

The two oldest are super tall now, won't be long before both are taller than their parents

 

[Hannelore]

At home French is used. With their nannies, at school and with many friends they speak Dutch. The kids also often speak Dutch among them 4, a journalist once heard them argueing and calling each other names in Dutch

I believe at least Elisabeth has private classes German?

 

[Marchesina]

I love Mathilde's bright smile...she looks so happy to be back with her family after her visit in Ghana. And how lovely Philippe asking his wife to pose next to him <3

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Thank you to those of you who answered my question about the language the family speak - that makes sense ?

 

[Princess Larisa]

I believe at least Elisabeth has private classes German?

She is learning German and English. I assumed it was in school.

 

[Mbruno]

She is learning German and English. I assumed it was in school.

Her father got a master's degree in political science from Stanford University in the US. It is highly likely that attending a university in the UK or the US will also be part of Élisabeth's education at some point, so she will have plenty of opportunity to perfect her English language skills.

Right now, I would assume she is fully bilingual in Dutch (her school language) and French (her home language), whereas she probably has a limited command of English and German as foreign languages, which is already impressive for a 16-year-old.

 

[eya]

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their children are currently for a winter holidays in Verbier, Switzerland and every year they are the guests there of their close friends, Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten and his wife, baroness Mimi Ullens de Schooten.

Queen Mathilde: Residence: Swiss Chalet

According a belgian gossip magazine King Phillipe with family dining at the same restaurant and the next tables with Delphine Boel

Queen Mathilde: Private: A Dinner Surprise

The King Philippe accepted the invitation from the scouts to visit them the April 21! After all they made a long way to invite him!!

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/979757744067661825

 

[Hannelore]

She is learning German and English. I assumed it was in school.

Depends on what she's actually studying. Her Dutch speaking school gives French and English to all secundary school pupils. German or Spanish can also be chosen extra if you're in a "languages" department.

So she's bilingual Dutch-French, and like most Belgian teenagers (at least the ones in Dutch speaking schools, and who watch Flemish TV where English is subtitled and never dubbed) she'll have a very good level of English.

I *think* the German could be a private class.

 

[Hannelore]

Mathilde gave an interview to MO Magazine, a Belgian left-wing magazine that reports on global developments. It's about her work as an SDG advocate, but at the same time she reveals things about her own youth, her background, her children etc.

Mathilde really is a woman of substance, and this is quite an intersting read IMO: Queen Mathilde: "2030 is tomorrow. Change has to happen today"

You can see all of her SDG activities at this link - at least the ones that have made it to the media: Queen Mathilde: SDG

 

[iceflower]

.

Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth attended the performance "Mitten wir im Leben sind/Bach6Cellosuiten" by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Jean-Guihen Queyras/Rosas at the 30CC/Schouwburg theatre in Leuven this evening, March 28:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** fb gallery **

 

[Hannelore]

Mathilde & Elisabeth at a modern dance performance yesterday: https://queenmathilde.blogspot.be/2018/03/anne-teresa-de-keersmaeker.html

 

[Somebody]

Nice to see the photos and video from the family's skiing holiday, it looks as if they are enjoying themselves - and it seems very snowy in Verbier! Were Philippe and Mathilde speaking French or Flemish in the video? I couldn't quite tell, but it sounded like French, which I was surprised by since I read that after they sent their children to Flemish speaking schools it was their first language at home (even though I am aware that most of the other Belgian royals are French speaking).

I believe they sent their children to a Flemish school precisely because they speak French at home - which is the best in terms of language development as French is both Philippe's as well as Mathilde's mother tongue. In this way the children will both learn French perfectly (from their parents) and Dutch (from their teachers whose mother tongue is Dutch). It is quite normal that the children will speak Dutch among themselves as bilingual children typically prefer speaking the language of their peers (classmates/friends) over the language of their parents.