Mathilde | |||||
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Queen Mathilde in 2013
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Queen consort of the Belgians | |||||
Tenure | 21 July 2013 – present | ||||
Born |
Uccle, Belgium |
20 January 1973 ||||
Spouse | King Philippe of Belgium (m. 1999) | ||||
Issue |
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant Prince Gabriel Prince Emmanuel Princess Eléonore |
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House | d'Udekem d'Acoz | ||||
Father | Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz | ||||
Mother | Countess Anna Maria Komorowska | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Full name | |
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Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine |
HM King Albert II
HM Queen Paola
HRH Princess Léa
HRH Princess Marie-Christine, Mrs Gourges
HRH Princess Marie-Esméralda, Lady Moncada
Queen Mathilde of Belgium (born Mathilde Marie Christiane Ghislaine, Jonkvrouw d'Udekem d'Acoz on 20 January 1973) is the wife of King Philippe, who ascended the throne following the abdication of his father, King Albert II, on 21 July 2013. She is the first Belgian-born Queen of the Belgians, and the only member of the nobility (though not royalty) by birth among the current queens consort of Europe.
Queen Mathilde was born Jonkvrouw Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in Ukkel on 20 January 1973. Though her grandfather and her uncle were barons, she and her father were members of the untitled nobility, though the lowest rank.
Mathilde grew up at the family estate, Losange Castle in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau , Bastogne. Losange Castle is now private property of the dowager Countess d’Udekem d’Acoz.
Mathilde's father was Count (formerly Jonkheer) Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz (Uccle, 28 April 1936 – Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 25 September 2008), son of Baron Charles d'Udekem d'Acoz (Ghent, 8 March 1885 – Proven, 7 December 1968), who was of Belgian noble ancestry; her mother is Countess Anna Maria Komorowska (born 24 September 1946 in Białogard, Poland), daughter of Count Leon Michael Komorowski (Siedliska, 14 August 1907 – 1992) and Polish Princess Zofia María Sapieha of Krasiczyn, Clan Lis (Bobrek, 10 October 1919 – Herstal, 14 August 1997). The Komorowski family is well known for Count Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski (1895–1966), Polish Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile and for former President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski.