 |
| MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images |
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians made a two-day visit to Germany this week, complete with stops in the home of Philippe’s Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ancestors.
 |
| JENS KALAENE/AFP/Getty Images |
The Belgian royal couple landed at the Erfurt-Weimar airport on Tuesday for their two-day visit to Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
 |
| MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images |
Mathilde wore her classic diamond and pearl earrings for her arrival in Germany, as well as a striking brooch in the shape of a dragonfly.
 |
| MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images |
Here’s a slightly better look at the brooch. The jewel appears to be set with blue gemstones, perhaps pale sapphires?
 |
| MARTIN SCHUTT/AFP/Getty Images |
The first day of the trip included a stop at Schloss Friedenstein. The eighteenth-century palace was built by Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Gotha, one of Philippe’s ancestors. The palace was later a secondary residence for the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
 |
| JENS KALAENE/AFP/Getty Images |
Philippe’s great-great-great-grandfather was King Leopold I of Belgium, who was Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha before he accepted the offer to become Belgium’s first monarch. (Some of you may know him better as Uncle Leopold to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.) Material related to Leopold was put on display at Schloss Friedenstein for the Belgian royal visit.
 |
| JENS BUTTNER/AFP/Getty Images |
On Wednesday, the royal couple headed to Wittenberg, where they made stops at the city hall and the castle church.
 |
| JENS BUTTNER/AFP/Getty Images |
The (Roman Catholic) couple received a statue of one of the town’s most famous residents, Martin Luther, during their visit to the city hall.
 |
| JENS BUTTNER/AFP/Getty Images |
Mathilde wore pale pink earrings with her floral dress for the second day of the visit.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.