Royal Profile: 45 Facts About Queen Mathilde of Belgium

1. Queen Mathilde of Belgium was born on 20 January 1973 as Jonkvrouw Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz {Source}.
2. She is the daughter of the Count  Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz & Countess Anna Maria  d'Udekem d'Acoz{Source}.
3. She has three younger sisters {Source}:
1. Jonkvrouw Marie-Alix Suzanne Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz (1974-1997, car accident)
2. Countess Elisabeth Marie Hedwige Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz (1977)
3. Countess Hélène Marie Michele Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz(1979)
4. She has one brother {Source}:
1. Count Charles-Henri Marie Ghislain d'Udekem d'Acoz (1985)
5. Through her siblings, she has the following siblings-in-law {Source}:
1. Margrave Alfonso Pallavicini (m. Elisabeth in 2006)
2. Baron Nicolas Janssen (m. Hélène in 2011)
6. She has the following nieces {Source}:
1. Margravine Olympia Edoarda Matilde Pallavicini (2008)
2. Baroness Cordélia Janssen (2012)
7. Queen Mathilde has the following nephews {Source}:
1. Margrave Adalberto Domenico Carlo Patrizio Maria Pallavicini ( 2009)
2. Baron Alistair Janssen (2013)
8. She was educated in Belgium{Source}
9. She attended primary school in Bastogne, and attended the "Institut de la Vierge Fidèle" {Source}. 
10. From 1991-1994, she studied to be a speech therapist at the "Institut Libre Marie Haps" in Brussels, graduating magna cum laude{Source}.
11. Upon graduation, she embarked on a professional career as a speech therapist, setting up a practice in Brussels{Source}. 
12.  In 1999, she returned to school for a masters degree in Psychology at the Catholic University of Louvain, graduating cum laude in 2002{Source}.
13. Queen Mathilde has taken patronage of many organizations, especially children.
14.  In 2000, just a short year after marrying into the Royal Family, the "Fund Princess Mathilde" was created{Source}. 
15. In addition, Princess Mathilde has given her patronage to several associations dealing with issues of concern to vulnerable people{Source}.
16. She also attaches prime importance to educational subjects, the empowerment of women and supports projects to fight illiteracy{Source}.
17. In May 2002, she was a member of the Belgian delegation at the UN Conference on Children in New York{Source}. 
18. Since 2009, Princess Mathilde has been the Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium{Source}.
19. She has been on several humanitarian missions to countries including Niger and Mali {Source}.
20. She is an UNICEF and UNAIDS special representative for their world campaign for orphans and other vulnerable children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS, and has visited Tanzania, China and Senegal on their behalf{Source}.
21.  Queen Mathilde was also a UN emissary for the International Year of Microcredit 2005 and visited in that capacity projects in China, Mali, India and Washington/USA{Source}.
22.  In 2007, the Princess became a member of the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum{Source}.
23. She married Prince Philippe of Belgium, The Duke of Brabant on 4 December 1999, thus becoming Princess Mathilde of Belgium, The Duchess of Brabant{Source}.
24. Upon his succession in 
25. They have two daughters{Source}:
1. Princess Elisabeth, The Duchess of Brabant (2001)
2. Princess Eléonore (2008)
26. They also have two sons{Source}:
1. Prince Gabriel (2003)
2. Prince Emmanuel (2005)
27. She is the daughter-in-law of King Albert II of Belgium and Queen Paola of Belgium{Source}.
28. She is the sister-in-law of{Source}:
1.  Princess Astrid of Belgium, The Archduchess of Austria-Este (1962)
1. Prince Lorenz of Belgium, The Archduke of Austria-Este (1955, m. 1984)
2. Prince Laurent of Belgium (1963)
1. Princess Claire of Belium (1974, m. 2003)
3. Miss Delphine Boel (1968, alleged)
29. Through her husband, she has the following nephews{Source}:
1. Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (1986)
2. Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (1991)
3. Prince Nicolas of Belgium (2005)
4. Prince Aymeric of Belgium (2005)
30. Through King Philippe, she is the aunt to{Source}:
1. Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (1988)
2. Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (1995)
3. Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (2003)
4. Princess Louise of Belgium (2004)
31. Through her nephew Amedeo, she is the aunt-in-law of{Source}:
1. Archduchess Elisabetta "Lili" of Austria-Este (1987, m. 2014)
32. She is the great aunt of{Source}:
1. Archduchess Anna Astrid of Austria-Este (2016)
33. Queen Mathilde often accompanies her husband abroad for various duties, mostly to promote Belgium for its commercial and economical interests{Source}.
34. She enjoys classical music, and playing the piano{Source}. 
35. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, swimming, and enjoying nature and open-air activities{Source}. 
36. She is also a fan of literature{Source}. 
37. She speaks several languages, including French, Dutch, English, Italian and some Spanish{Source}.
38. She shares a birthday with The Countess of Wessex, who is eight years her senior.
39. The Belgian consort shares a birthday with  Carlos Hugo Roderik Sybren Klynstra de Bourbon-de Parme of The Netherlands who is 24 years her junior.
40. The Queen of Belgium shares a birthday with Prince Tassilo Preslavski of Bulgaria, who is 29 years her junior.
41. She is also fourty years older than the Prussian Twins, Carl Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Prussia and Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia.
42. Queen Mathilde is a godmother to:
1. Princess Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien of The Netherlands (2005){Source}
2. Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat (2007)
3. Miss Zaineb Tebbi-Sadki (2016) {Source}
43. She is close friends with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands.
44. Her astrological sign is Aquarius.
45. Her name Mathilde is a form of Mathilda, which comes from the Germanic name Mahthildis meaning "strength in battle"