Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium hosted a majestic state banquet on Tuesday evening – and in a royal first, they were joined by all four of their children.
The Belgian royal family rolled out the red carpet for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan at Laeken Castle in Brussels to begin their three-day state visit.
The couple’s youngest child, 18-year-old Princess Eleonore, even made her debut in a tiara, wearing a previously unseen item from the royal collection.
The 160 guests sat down for dinner, before official engagements resume on Wednesday, including visits to Namur Castle and Leuven university.
See below for all the best pictures and details of the stunning tiaras.
© Getty ImagesGroup photo
The state banquet marked the first time the King and Queen have been joined by all four of their children, Princess Elisabeth, 24, Prince Gabriel, 33, Prince Emmanuel, 20, and Princess Eleonore, at a state banquet.
The royal family posed for a marvellous group photo while seated in the Grand Dining Room of the Royal Palace of Laeken.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Eleonore provided the most-talked-about moment of the evening as she wore a tiara for the first time, from her mother’s collection.
The piece, made by Brussels jeweler Coosemans, was sold at auction in 2019.
Eleonore received it as a gift for her 18th birthday in April from her parents, the King and Queen, according to royal reporter Rick Evers.
Typically, members of the royal family can begin wearing tiaras once they turn 18.
© Getty ImagesShe also wore a pastel pink dress with a swan neck and straight cut design, often worn by other royals on formal occasions.
Eleonore is set to graduate with the International Baccalaureate in the coming weeks from the International School of Brussels and will begin to forge her own path.
She’s already trilingual, speaking Dutch, English and French, and plays the violin and sports in her spare time.
© Photonews via Getty ImagesPrincess Elisabeth
Her older sister, Princess Elisabeth, has worn a tiara before, but never at such a high-profile occasion, underscoring her important role as the future of the monarchy.
Elisabeth, who recently graduated from Harvard, was seen in the Brabant Laurel Tiara, which is composed of 631 diamonds set in platinum, recreating the shape of laurel branches with leaves and berries.
She also wore the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan’s highest and most prestigious honor, the same one awarded to Princess Amalia of the Netherlands a few days earlier.
© Photonews via Getty ImagesQueen Mathilde
Queen Mathilde, 53, wore a powder pink dress with a nod to her hosts, as it was embroidered with traditional Japanese fans and sequined lotus flowers.
She added the Diamond Empire Tiara, also known as the Tiara of the Nine Provinces, a wedding gift to Queen Astrid on the occasion of her marriage to Leopold III of Belgium in 1926, and the Order of the Chrysanthemum.
© Photonews via Getty ImagesEmpress Masako
Empress Masako also wore pink and chose the Honeysuckle tiara, which she wore for last week’s state banquet hosted by the Dutch royals.
It belonged to Princess Chichibu, the Emperor’s great-aunt, and was a favourite of his mother-in-law, Empress Michiko.
© Photonews via Getty ImagesFamily photo
Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel were also part of the banquet, also attended by Astrid and Lorenzo, the monarch’s sister and brother-in-law.
Ahead of the state visit, the royals posed for a candid portrait with their guests at the Royal Domain of Ciergnon, marking the official welcome.
