Mathilde, princess of Belgium

Mathilde, princess of Belgium

▪ princess of Belgium
original name  Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz 
born Jan. 21, 1973, Uccle, Belg.

      consort of Philippe, prince of Belgium, (Philippe, prince of Belgium) and mother of Princess Elisabeth (born 2001), the heir second in line to the Belgian throne.

      Mathilde was the daughter of a judge and a countess, and she completed her education in Bastogne before attending the Institut de la Vierge Fidèle in Brussels. In 1994 she graduated with a degree in speech therapy from the Institut Libre Marie Haps, also in Brussels, and set up a practice there. The circumstances under which she first met the prince have not been made public, but the two reportedly had been involved for several years before announcing their engagement in September 1999. The country, long separated by the political and cultural differences in French-speaking Wallonia and Flemish-speaking Flanders, welcomed Mathilde, who was fluent in both languages as well as in English and Italian.

      In three months' time, Mathilde went from a life of relative anonymity to becoming one of Belgium's most well-known and popular public figures. Her youth, charisma, and beauty led many to compare the Dec. 4, 1999, royal wedding to the 1981 union of Britain's Prince Charles (Charles, prince of Wales) to Lady Diana Spencer (Diana, princess of Wales). The marriage was especially noteworthy in that, should Philippe succeed his father as king as expected, Mathilde would become the first Belgian-born queen in the country's history.

      Mathilde immediately assumed the duties of her station, serving on numerous United Nations panels, with special attention paid to the rights of children. In 2000 the Princess Mathilde Fund was established to reward groups or individuals who worked to support children or other at-risk populations. Mathilde and Philippe's first child, Princess Elisabeth, was born on Oct. 25, 2001. Their succeeding children were Prince Gabriel (born Aug. 20, 2003), Prince Emmanuel (born Oct. 4, 2005), and Princess Eléonore (born April 16, 2008).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant — Princess Mathilde Duchess of Brabant (more) The Duchess of Brabant on 18 June 2010, at the pre wedding events before the wedding of Crown Princess Victor …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Claire of Belgium — Princess Claire Spouse Prince Laurent of Belgium Issue Princess Louise Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric Full name Claire Louise House House of Saxe Coburg and Gotha …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Clémentine of Orléans — Princess Clémentine Princess of Saxe Coburg Gotha Koháry Duchess in Saxony Spouse Prince August of Saxe Coburg and Gotha Issue Prince Philipp Prince Ludwig August Princess Clotilde, Archduchess of A …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Mathilde of Saxony (1863–1933) — Princess Mathilde Princess Mathilde of Saxony Full name German: Mathilde Marie Auguste Viktorie Leopoldine Karoline Luise Franziska Josepha House …   Wikipedia

  • Mathilde Bonaparte — Spouse Anatole Demidov Claudius Marcel Popelin Father Jérôme Bonaparte Mother Catharina of Württemberg Born 27 May 1820 …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Margaretha of Saxony — Archduchess and Princess Margaretha of Austria; Princess Margaretha of Hungary, Bohemia, and Tuscany Spouse Archduke Charles Louis of Austria Full name Ge …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia — Princess Louise Margaret Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn Spouse Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Issue Princess Margaret, Crown Princess of Sweden …   Wikipedia

  • Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha — Princess Sibylla Duchess of Västerbotten Princess Sibylla in the 1930s Spouse Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten Issue …   Wikipedia

  • Philippe and Mathilde, Prince and Princess of Belgium — ▪ 2000       The social event of the decade in Belgium was the marriage of Crown Prince Philippe to Mathilde d Udekem d Acoz on Dec. 4, 1999. The 39 year old prince had kept his relationship with the 26 year old speech therapist private until… …   Universalium

  • Princess Margaret of Connaught — Crown Princess of Sweden; Duchess of Scania Spouse Gustaf Adolf, Crown Prince of Sweden Issue Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten P …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”