Philippe and Mathilde from Belgium arrived in France this Monday, October 14 for a state visit which is scheduled to last three days. The sovereigns are expected in Chantilly and Lille but the first stop on their trip had to be Paris where the royal couple arrived in the morning by train.
Welcomed at the Gare du Nord by the Republican Guard, the King and Queen of Belgium immediately left towards the Champs-Élysées where they found Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, who had come to join them at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe. Together, the king and the president reviewed the troops before paying tribute to the unknown soldier.
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The two couples then went to the Elysée Palace, located a few meters away, where Philippe and Mathilde of Belgium posed on the steps in the company of the presidential couple. The king and queen then left the right bank for lunch at the Matignon hotel in the company of Michel and Isabelle Barnier.
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Philippe at the Invalides, Mathilde at the opera
In the afternoon, the royal and presidential couples then met to better separate. Mathilde left with Brigitte Macron for the Opéra Garnier, in order to promote collaboration between the Paris Opera and the Brussels Mint. On site, the Queen and the First Lady attended the dancers’ rehearsal before visiting the building and in particular the costume making workshop.
Meanwhile, King Philippe went to the Hôtel des Invalides for a “Defense sequence”. France is in fact Belgium’s first strategic partner in the field of Defense, so it was important for the sovereign to meet the military and review the equipment. Philippe must have felt all the more concerned as his own son, Gabriel, is currently studying at the St-Cyr Coëtquidan school, in Brittany.
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Mathilde dressed to honor France
To ensure all the visits of the day, Mathilde has chosen to put French fashion in the spotlight. If the queen first boarded the train wearing a coat from the Belgian brand Natan, she changed for arrival in Paris, wearing a red ensemble showing her appreciation of French luxury since it was designed by Christian Dior.
A look that she accessorized with a large hat, also red, and a burgundy Lady Dior bag, one of the iconic items of the French luxury brand. She also wore long burgundy gloves and pumps of the same color which have not left her side, from the Champs Elysée to the opera.
What program for the next few days?
Monday will conclude for their Majesties with a state dinner organized at the Elysée by Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron. On Tuesday, the royal couple will continue their Parisian stay by visiting City Hall and the Belgian Embassy before visiting the Pompidou Center.
Finally, on Wednesday, the state visit will conclude with a visit to Chantilly, where an exhibition is currently dedicated to Louise Marie d’Orléans, a French princess who became the first queen of the Belgians by marrying Leopold I. The royal couple will then travel to Lille and finally return to Belgium on Wednesday evening.
