Every year, tradition dictates that the King and Queen of Belgium organize a major concert at the palace to thank those who contributed to royal activities over the past year, from staff members to official court suppliers. A ritual from which Philippe and Mathilde never depart, bringing their family together to attend this festive moment organized every year before Christmas.
This year, the concert took place on the evening of December 18 and brought together more than 500 guests. To welcome them: the king and queen as well as their two daughters, princesses Elisabeth and Éléonore. If the second was expected, the presence of the first comes as a surprise. The eldest child of Philippe and Mathilde has in fact been living in the United States since September, where she studies at the prestigious Harvard University.
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To mark this great return during the festive period, the future queen wore a long burgundy velvet dress with Jimmy Choo pumps, a clutch borrowed from her mother and a ruby bracelet lent by Queen Paola. Her little sister, Princess Éléonore, opted for a gold Ralph Lauren dress while Queen Mathilde turned to her favorite fashion house, Natan, to dress her in a red midi dress.
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A prestigious concert… and two notable absences
The king, the queen and the two princesses thus entered the throne room where the concert is organized every year. With the 500 guests, they were able to listen to the Royal Chamber Music Orchestra of Mons, the Children’s Choir of the Vlaanderen Opera, the Maîtrise de l’Opéra de Liège or even, in a more modern register, the singer Mentissa, revealed in “The Voice” in 2021. A concert which will be broadcast on Belgian TV and radio channels from December 23.
Only two people were missing from this exceptional evening: Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel. The two sons of Philippe and Mathilde were in fact absent, probably detained by their studies which they are both carrying out abroad. The first is currently continuing his military training at the St-Cyr Coëtquidan academy and should probably return to Belgium at the end of the week, while the second has long maintained the mystery surrounding his studies before revealing that he was training in Spain in order to become a professional footballer.
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