A Sparkling Sapphire Dragonfly Surprise from Queen Mathilde in Hanoi

While the Danes headed to Paris, the King and Queen of the Belgians traveled to Vietnam this week for a state visit. On the first day of the trip, Queen Mathilde wore a trio of glittering jewelry looks—including a state dinner ensemble that featured a bejeweled surprise.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday. After participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument of National Heroes, the King and Queen were greeted by President Luong Cuong and his wife, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, at the Presidential Palace.

For the welcome ceremonies, Queen Mathilde wore a golden yellow dress with a coordinating hat and gold jewelry accessories. Per UFO No More, the hat was made by Fabienne Delvigne, but the rest of the ensemble, including the earrings and brooch, come from Natan.

Mathilde has had the gold leaf cluster brooch and matching earrings in her jewelry box for several years. For the first events of the program in Vietnam, she also wore a pair of bracelets stacked with her watch and her diamond and tanzanite ring.

In the afternoon, Queen Mathilde changed into a Vietnamese-inspired outfit for a visit to the National Hospital of Pediatrics in Hanoi, an institution that cooperates with Belgium’s Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital. She echoed the white floral embroidery on the navy dress by wearing her diamond and pearl button earrings.

On Tuesday evening, Philippe and Mathilde were the guests of honor at a state dinner hosted by the presidential couple. The men wore suits for the event, while both ladies opted for long gowns. Mathilde’s floral dress, which she previously wore during a trip to South Africa, is by the designer Dries Van Noten.

With the bright floral dress, Mathilde wore jewelry pieces that she acquired from a Sotheby’s auction in 2018. The antique earrings are set with diamonds and kunzites. She also wore the matching ring from the suite, which was sold in the same auction lot.

For state dinners like this one, tiaras are generally off the menu. But Mathilde usually finds a way to sneak in a little sparkle in her hair anyway. Delightfully, she added a diamond and sapphire dragonfly brooch from her personal jewelry collection to her updo on Tuesday evening. The brooch, which was made in the 1920s, was also purchased from an auction in 2018.