King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will host Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg on their State Visit to Belgium from April 16-18, following the Belgian State Visit to Luxembourg in 2019. King Philippe and Grand Duke Henri are first cousins.
At the invitation of Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians, Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess will travel to the Kingdom of Belgium for a State Visit from April 16 to 18, 2024.
During this State Visit, the Royal Couple and the Grand Ducal Couple will have the pleasure of visiting different projects and companies in three Belgian cities: Brussels, Ghent and Liège.
While the details have yet to be announced, the State Visit will no doubt begin with an Official Welcome Ceremony at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
At the invitation of Their Majesties the King and the Queen, Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg are paying a state visit to Belgium. Belgium and Luxembourg are closely linked thanks to royal family ties, but also historically, economically, culturally and socially. This state visit shows that both countries want to continue investing and working together in areas such as sustainable economic development, e-health, space, defense and education.
In the evening, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will host a State Banquet in honour of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa at the Royal Chateau of Laeken.
The program includes a ceremonial reception on the Place des Palais in Brussels on Tuesday, April 16, a visit to the Brussels City Hall, and a State Banquet in the Castle of Laeken.
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa will host a Return Dinner/Concert on the second evening of the State Visit.
On Wednesday morning, April 17, the King and the Grand Duke will open the Economic Forum in the Egmont Palace in Brussels. They meet a number of Belgian and Luxembourgish CEOs who present their successful collaboration and current projects. At the same time, the Queen and the Grand Duchess will visit the exhibition ‘Histoire de ne pas rire. Surrealism in Belgium’ at the Center for Fine Arts in Brussels. The official delegation will then travel to Ghent for a visit to North Sea Port(external link)and the Belgian engine builder Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC)(external link). The company, founded in 1912, has transformed itself into a successful modern international company in the production of high-performance hydrogen and multi-fuel marine engines, with an emphasis on renewable energy, circularity and sustainable entrepreneurship. After a lunch on labor market dynamics in the new Provincial House, the Queen, together with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, will visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Mystic Lamb, the final restoration phase of which is currently underway. The day ends with a concert by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra in Flagey in Brussels, presented by the Luxembourg duke couple.
Thursday, April 18, starts for the King and the Grand Duke at the air base of the 15th Wing in Melsbroek, where the Belgium-Luxembourg bi-national Air Transport Unit A400M is stationed. Belgium and Luxembourg have been working closely together in the field of defense for decades. At the end of 2023, both countries signed a cooperation agreement for the creation of a binational reconnaissance battalion and welcomed the arrival of the last A400M in the binational fleet. They will then go to the University of Liège for a seminar on cyber defense and space travel. The Queen and the Grand Duchess are now visiting Child Focus(external link)In Brussels. The King, the Queen, the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess will participate in a thematic lunch about Belgian-Luxembourg cross-border partnerships at the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in Liège at noon. They will then conclude the state visit with a meeting with the population on Sint-Lambertusplein in Liège.
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The Belgian Royal Family and the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Family have a close family history, which was further cemented when Princess Charlotte of Belgium married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in 1953.
State visit of Belgian King Baudouin to Luxembourg (1959).
From left: Prince Charles, Hereditary Grand Duke Jean, Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte (born Princess of Belgium, sister of King Baudouin), King Baudouin, Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix.
© Belga pic.twitter.com/IwbMbZUkT4
— RoyalArjan (@RoyalArjan) September 7, 2018
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State visit of Belgian King Baudouin to Luxembourg (1959).
From left: Prince Charles, Hereditary Grand Duke Jean, Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte (born Princess of Belgium, sister of King Baudouin), King Baudouin, Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix.
© Belga pic.twitter.com/IwbMbZUkT4
In 1959, Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix, along with Hereditary Grand Duke Jean and Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, hosted King Baudouin of Belgium (brother of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte) on his State Visit to Luxembourg. In 1967, King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola hosted Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte on their State Visit to Belgium.
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1999: Luxembourgish state visit to Belgium.
From left: Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg (born Princess of Belgium), her brother King Albert II of the Belgians, Queen Paola of the Belgians and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
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© Anouk Antony pic.twitter.com/L9KA7Op66V
— RoyalArjan (@RoyalArjan) October 26, 2018
1999: Luxembourgish state visit to Belgium.
From left: Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg (born Princess of Belgium), her brother King Albert II of the Belgians, Queen Paola of the Belgians and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
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© Anouk Antony pic.twitter.com/L9KA7Op66V
In the next reign, King Albert II (younger brother of the Grand Duchess) and Queen Paola were hosted by Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte on their State Visit to Luxembourg in 1994, HERE, and in turn hosted the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess on their State Visit to Belgium in 1999, HERE.
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In 2007, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg (wearing the Luxembourg Empire Tiara) were hosted by his uncle and aunt, King Albert and Queen Paola (in the Nine Provinces Tiara). Other members of the family in attendance included Queen Fabiola, Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, Crown Prince Philippe and Crown Princess Mathilde, The Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Astrid.
The most recent State Visit between the two families was when King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium made State Visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 2019, being hosted by their cousins, the Grand Ducal Family.
Nine Provinces Tiara
Laurel Wreath Tiara
Wolfers Necklace Tiara
Queen Elisabeth’s Diamond Bandeau
Diamond Fringe Earrings
Wedding Earrings
Diamond Scroll Earrings
Tunisian Parure
Aquamarine Earrings
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Waterfall Brooch
Diamond Butterfly Brooch
Diamond Floral Bracelet
