SerpApi.Org
The Belgian royal family gathered in Brussels on Tuesday for National Day, the country’s most significant annual public celebration. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were joined by their three children for the traditional festivities at the medieval Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula.
All three of the royal women stepped out in summery looks. Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the throne and recently returned from finishing her graduate degree at Harvard University, stepped out in a white floral jacquard midi dress by CH Carolina Herrera. The Duchess of Brabant paired it with a matching hat by Maison Fabienne Delvigne, a Belgian milliner that has supplied the royal family for decades and has had a Belgian royal warrant since 2001.
Queen Mathilde wore a custom beige raffia-embroidered tulle dress by Natan, also topped with a Fabienne Delvigne capeline. Princess Eléonore chose a sky-blue dress by Toteme with a two-tone structured straw headband by Atelier Anne Stoffels, which has boutiques in both Antwerp and London.
One of 10 national public holidays, Belgian National Day is observed every July 21 and marks the anniversary of the investiture of Leopold I as the first King of the Belgians in 1831. The day’s program in Brussels traditionally begins with a Te Deum, or a prayer service, at the cathedral, attended by the royal family and senior dignitaries. That is followed by a military and civil parade in the afternoon around Brussels Park in front of the Royal Palace, with contingents from Belgium’s NATO and European Union allies often participating alongside the Belgian Armed Forces. The surrounding streets are described to have a carnival-like atmosphere with live music as well as food and drink stalls, and there is a fireworks show in the evening.
The holiday was not always observed on its current date. It was originally marked on September 27, commemorating the expulsion of Dutch forces from Brussels during the Belgian Revolution in 1830, before being moved to July 21 by law in 1890 to more closely associate the observance with the monarchy.
