Royal Family of Belgium - Current Events Part 9 (Jan 2019 - present)

[iceflower]

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Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth on day 2 of the Unicef mission today, June 26:




** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 ** belga gallery **


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Here are some short videos: Video 1 and Video 2, Video 3, Video 4, Video 5. Updated rex gallery.


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[eya]

The Day 2 starts with a visit to a reception center for vulnerable children in the outskirts of the capital Nairobi.


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Also Queen Mathilde with UNICEF Kenya Representative Maniza Zaman and UNICEF President of Board Ronald Steisel, met with CS Education George Magoha discussing progress to improve access to quality of education in Kenya.


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And meet with the First Lady of Kenya Margaret Kenyatta


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[HereditaryPrincess]

If she chooses to have heirs, Elisabeth will be a really great mother one day as she's been fantastic with the children during the Kenya visit so far. I love this photo in particular.

[polyesco]

video of Mathilde with the first lady of Kenya
https://youtu.be/i29-Un_uom0

another meeting today
https://twitter.com/Ezra_K_Yego/stat...590275/photo/1
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[rominet09]

Lovely dress by the way ! Pity Lisa wasn't with her !

[iceflower]

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The final day in Kenya has started:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** video ** video 2 ** video 3 ** video 4 ** belga gallery - day 3 **


** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 ** Pic 7 ** Pic 8 ** Pic 9 ** video 5 ** A very special photo **


** Pic 10 ** Pic 11 ** Pic 12 ** Pic 13 ** Pic 14 ** Pic 15 ** Pic 16 ** Pic 17 ** Pic 18 ** updated rex gallery **


An article about day 2:


** dm: Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, 17, cuddles a baby girl as she joins mother Queen Mathilde..**


An article about day 3:


** dm: Queen Mathilde and Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium put on a colourful display as they don beaded headpieces..**

[rominet09]

Lovely to see them ! They are both beautiful !

[leidi]

I think this is the first interview Elisabeth has ever given.
As far as I can see, her Dutch is pretty flawless, no traces of any French accent whatsoever.

[suztav]

Although I don’t speak a word of Dutch, I do think she looks and sounds very poised. Good job!

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by leidi

I think this is the first interview Elisabeth has ever given.
As far as I can see, her Dutch is pretty flawless, no traces of any French accent whatsoever.

Wow...I wish her grand uncle Baudouin and Fabiola were around to see her blossom...

[Marchesina]

Originally Posted by leidi

I think this is the first interview Elisabeth has ever given.
As far as I can see, her Dutch is pretty flawless, no traces of any French accent whatsoever.

I am seriously about to cry...I feel like a proud auntie seeing her talking to journalists this way! She feels confident and her Flemish seems perfect, you can't hear any French accent indeed, but we already knew the Belgian royal kids were going to be the first generation of the Belgian Royal Family to be totally bilingual.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Marchesina

I am seriously about to cry...I feel like a proud auntie seeing her talking to journalists this way! She feels confident and her Flemish seems perfect, you can't hear any French accent indeed, but we already knew the Belgian royal kids were going to be the first generation of the Belgian Royal Family to be totally bilingual.

The decision of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz to enroll their children in a Dutch speaking school seems to have reaped dividends. When Prince Amedeo talked with reporters after the birth of his first child his Dutch was also said to be without a trace of an accent. I am not sure if the same applies to Princess Louise and her brothers, who were enrolled in a French speaking school though the city where their family is based is in Flanders.

Considering that King Philippe and Prince Laurent married French speakers and Princess Astrid married a Frenchman, it would be nice if some of Philippe's children married Dutch speakers, who represent two-thirds of the public but are not really represented in the royal family. However, that will be unlikely if the family continues their preference for consorts of noble descent, as the Belgian nobility is a Francophone one.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

Considering that King Philippe and Prince Laurent married French speakers and Princess Astrid married a Frenchman, it would be nice if some of Philippe's children married Dutch speakers, who represent two-thirds of the public but are not really represented in the royal family. However, that will be unlikely if the family continues their preference for consorts of noble descent, as the Belgian nobility is a Francophone one.

But isn't Mathiulde from a flemish noble Family? I remember at the time of the engagement it was pointed out that has routes in both parts of the country as she is froma flemish noble fFamily but grow in Wallíne.

And i wouldn't say that Lorenz is a frenchman he is austrian noble but grow up in France and studied in Switzerland and Austria.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Stefan

But isn't Mathiulde from a flemish noble Family? I remember at the time of the engagement it was pointed out that has routes in both parts of the country as she is froma flemish noble fFamily but grow in Wallíne.

And i wouldn't say that Lorenz is a frenchman he is austrian noble but grow up in France and studied in Switzerland and Austria.

I was referencing the personal backgrounds of Mathilde, Lorenz, and Claire rather than their family roots. As you said, all three grew up in French-speaking countries (Mathilde and Claire in Wallonia and Lorenz in France) and spoke French as their native tongue, whereas none of the consorts were raised to speak Dutch.

Interestingly, only France recognized Lorenz with a title of nobility at birth; for Austria he was born Mr. Lorenz Habsburg-Lothringen.

[Marchesina]

Was there any French speaking reporter who recorded the same message in French the way they always do with both the King and the Queen?

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

The decision of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz to enroll their children in a Dutch speaking school seems to have reaped dividends. When Prince Amedeo talked with reporters after the birth of his first child his Dutch was also said to be without a trace of an accent. I am not sure if the same applies to Princess Louise and her brothers, who were enrolled in a French speaking school though the city where their family is based is in Flanders.

Considering that King Philippe and Prince Laurent married French speakers and Princess Astrid married a Frenchman, it would be nice if some of Philippe's children married Dutch speakers, who represent two-thirds of the public but are not really represented in the royal family. However, that will be unlikely if the family continues their preference for consorts of noble descent, as the Belgian nobility is a Francophone one.

Well, Claire is not of noble birth and Mathilde is actually the first Belgian-born Queen. Prior to her, kings and future kings of the Belgians actually married foreign royal princesses or foreign noble women. Except for Queen Louise-Marie, none of the other Belgian Queens before Mathilde were actually native French speakers, but I can understand that , for a Spaniard like Fabiola or, even more so, an Italian like Paola, it should be much easier and far more comfortable to speak French than Dutch.

Dutch shouldn’t be too difficult for native speakers of Germanic languages like Astrid of Sweden or, especially, Elisabeth of Bavaria, but I guess that, at their time, Dutch was a low prestige language in Belgium and not at all equal in social status to French.

Given the current relaxed attitude as far as royal marriages are concerned, it is not at all far-fetched that Princess Elisabeth might end up marrying a commoner and he may well be Dutch-speaking or not. I don’t think though that It will be a priority for her to marry a Flemish man because that would be politically expedient. Like most modern young royals, I think she will marry whom she likes, whether he is noble or not, and regardless of his native language or nationality.

[Countessmeout]

Her school year would have just ended.

I was shocked to realize missed this trip. Late to game but better late then never.

Wonderful seeing Élisabeth and such a surprise. I love she accompanies then to events at home when not in school but a trip like this is a big step. I love how they are introducing her to her future role.

Also great project to bring her on. It’s great Mathilde brings information back for her kids but this hands on trip is so much more.

I am sure she does her family proud and will her people.

[eya]

King Albert and Queen Paola gathered, on the occasion of their diamond wedding, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren on the new Family picture!!


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[Minister of Court]

That's a grand picture! Great to see their whole offspring honouring the old couple. Even though Astrid and Laurent are looking their miserable selves as per usual.

[Biri]

Not all of them are present.