Yesterday, the Belgian royals joined with their fellow citizens to celebrate the country’s National Day, a festival which commemorates the day that King Leopold I swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution way back in 1831. Let’s have a look at the jewels that Queen Mathilde and the other ladies of the Belgian royal family wore to celebrate, shall we?
At the Bal National, an outdoor concert event held on the eve of National Day, Queen Mathilde went for the gold — jewelry, that is. Her chunky gold earrings somehow manage to be modern and traditional at the same time, but she’s also added an ultra-mod gold cuff bracelet. (Also, I’ve seen some say that this dress is very Queen Letizia, and I agree — and I like it on both of them!
Earrings-and-bracelets combinations were Mathilde’s go-to for the entire celebration. Here she is attending the Te Deum service at the cathedral in Brussels with King Philippe and their children; she’s wearing smaller earrings here (because who would want to make their jewelry compete with that hat???), but she’s added a chunky bracelet on her right wrist.
She also wore a watch and a bracelet on her left wrist, which you can see in this photo from the annual military parade and review.
An outfit change after the parade meant a jewelry change, too. I absolutely love the exaggerated drop earrings she wore to the Place des Palais; she’s kept the bracelets and watch the same, I believe. (Also? My kingdom for that clutch purse!)
Mathilde wasn’t the only Belgian royal lady celebrating National Day. Her sister-in-law, Princess Astrid, wore military dress for the Te Deum in Bruges and for the military parade in Brussels. Regular readers of the blog will recognize the star and purple sash of the Order of Leopold, too. (King Philippe and Prince Laurent are also wearing the order with their uniforms.)
In Namur, Princess Claire kept her jewelry simple for the Te Deum. Normally that would make me sad, but it works for me with the overall minimalism of her white and black ensemble. (Nice to see Prince Laurent out and about, too!)
One more Belgian royal lady made a sneaky bejeweled appearance at this year’s National Day. See the portrait of the woman in the green dress behind King Philippe? I do believe that’s his grandmother, Queen Astrid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s wearing the Nine Provinces Tiara, a piece reserved for Belgian queens.
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