2023-12-20 05:59:15
The Belgian royal family was already celebrating Christmas and the New Year on December 19, 2023, surrounded by the population. The usual Christmas concert was replaced by a reception with exceptional Belgians, due to work at the Royal Palace. Queen Mathilde wore a golden dress featuring Belgian designer Dries Van Noten.
Read also: Queen Mathilde in a Dries Van Noten dress to visit the Antwerp Fashion Museum
An end-of-year reception replaces the usual Christmas concert
The Christmas concert is the royal family’s last major public event. Each year, this concert is the highlight of a year of performances. The concert is usually recorded in the Throne Room, in the presence of several members of the royal family, and broadcast on television for Christmas. This year, the concert is not on the program, due to renovation work at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
The Belgian royal family listens to a song performed upon their arrival at the Royal Palace late in the followingnoon, this December 19, 2023 (Photo: Mischa Schoemaker/ABACAPRESS.COM)
A women’s choir revives the Christmas spirit during this exceptional end-of-year reception (Photo: Ezio Cairoli)
Read also: Princess Elisabeth in a Dries Van Noten tank top for her 22nd birthday
Although the concert did not take place, the sovereigns still wanted to mark the end of the year. King Philippe, 63, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 50, therefore organized a reception. One hundred and twelve citizens were invited to the Empire room of the Palace. Music was not completely put aside, since a choir made up of women sang songs from the corridors of the palace. The guests of the sovereigns were employees, volunteers of associations and beneficiaries of social organizations.
Queen Mathilde congratulates the singers of the women’s choir (Photo: ABACAPRESS.COM)
Read also: Natan, Dries Van Noten and Maje in the spotlight on the Belgian royal family’s Christmas card
Queen Mathilde wears a golden creation by Dries Van Noten
The royal couple was surrounded by three of their four children: Princess Élisabeth, 22, Prince Emmanuel, 18, and Princess Éléonore, 15. Prince Gabriel, 20, was absent at the event as the school holidays had not yet started. He is currently in the boarding school of the Royal Military School, before being given leave for the holidays. Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne, had already returned from England, where she is studying history and politics at Lincoln College, University of Oxford.
Princess Elisabeth wears a blue knitted dress from the British brand Reiss and Princess Éléonore a black sequined top from the Belgian brand Indee (Photo: Mischa Schoemaker/ABACAPRESS.COM)
Also read: Queen Mathilde in Armani and with a headband version of the Nine Provinces tiara at the state banquet in Germany
Queen Mathilde once once more put Belgian fashion in the spotlight. She wore a gold floral jacquard coat dress by designer Dries Van Noten. Princess Elisabeth wore an electric blue Reiss knit dress and Carolina Herrera earrings previously worn by Queen Mathilde. The British brand Reiss is very popular across the Channel. Princess Éléonore wore a black sequined top from the Belgian brand Indee and red pants.
Traditional photo of the Belgian royal family in front of the Christmas tree at the end of 2023 (Photo: Mischa Schoemaker/ABACAPRESS.COM)
During the reception, members of the royal family were able to interact with their guests. The associations invited to the event have all had contact in recent years with the King or Queen of the Belgians during visits. To conclude this event, King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, the Duchess of Brabant, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Éléonore posed for the traditional group photo with their guests. The photo was taken on the main staircase of the Palace. For their part, the royal family also posed in front of the large Christmas tree.
Nicolas Fontaine Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been an independent web editor since 2014. After having been a copywriter and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media, he specialized in royal news. Nicolas is today editor-in-chief of Histoires royales. [email protected]
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