King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium made a stately entrance at the Vatican, welcomed with a Guard of Honor by the Swiss Guards before their private audience with Pope Leo. Their visit, just days after King Charles and Queen Camilla of the UK met the pontiff, was marked by tradition and ceremony. Queen Mathilde stood out in a white dress, a rare privilege reserved for select Catholic queens and princesses under the custom known as il privilegio del bianco, or the privilege of the white. T

A Royal Welcome for EU: King Philippe & Queen Mathilde Receive Roberta Metsola & MEPs in Brussels! A ceremonial moment at the heart of the European Union. Philippe, King of the Belgians, and Queen Mathilde welcome Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, together with European Parliament Vice-Presidents, Quaestors, and Belgian Members of the European Parliament, during the New Year’s reception in Brussels. These extracts reflect the strong institutional ties between Belgium’s monar