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The Queen

Biographical background and education

Her Majesty the Queen was born on 20 January 1973 in Uccle, Belgium as the eldest daughter of Count and Countess Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz.

The Queen grew up near Bastogne and completed her general secondary education in Brussels. She went on to study speech therapy at the Haute École Léonard de Vinci and earned a Master's degree in psychology from the Université catholique de Louvain in 2002. Between 1995 and 1999, the Queen worked as a speech therapist. In addition to Dutch and French, she speaks English and Italian and has a good basic knowledge of Spanish.

Public role and activities

On 4 December 1999, she married His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, as Jonkvrouw Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, and received the titles of Duchess of Brabant and Princess of Belgium. Following the abdication of King Albert II on 21 July 2013, she became Queen of the Belgians.

The Queen assists His Majesty the King in his duties as head of state: she takes part in state visits, attends ceremonies in Belgium and in other countries, meets with representatives of various groups from wider society, and makes numerous visits to institutions and organisations.

Social and institutional commitments

Involvement in social and humanitarian activities

Parenting and education, child poverty, intergenerational poverty, the position of women in our society, financial literacy and mental well-being are topics close to her heart. The Queen regularly visits social organisations and healthcare institutions and through these contacts she keeps abreast of the population's needs and requirements, as well as of the numerous initiatives taken to help others. The Queen sets great store by this direct contact with citizens.

  • The Queen's Charitable Fund (1964) provides assistance to citizens who are unable to meet their daily needs due to financial difficulties and who often apply to the Charitable Fund as the last resort. The Charitable Fund also supports vulnerable young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who have spent their youth in institutions or with foster families, helping them towards independence.
  • Through the Queen Mathilde Fund, established in 2000, the Queen supports initiatives run by young people for young people.
  • Since 2009, the Queen has been honorary chair of UNICEF Belgium, a foundation that draws all necessary attention from the general public, businesses and authorities to children's rights in general, and UNICEF's programmes in particular. 
  • The Queen considers the welfare of children to be of fundamental importance and is committed to the fight against all forms of violence against children. Since 2014, she has been honorary chair of Child Focus, a foundation dedicated to helping to find missing children and fighting sexual exploitation of children.
  • In 2015, the Queen accepted the position of honorary chair of the King Baudouin Foundation, an actor of change and innovation that serves the common good and social cohesion. The Queen regularly participates in public debate on issues of concern within Belgian society.

Sustainable development and international engagement

​Health and development cooperation

  • Since 2016, the Queen has been honorary chair of the Breast International Group, an international non-profit organisation and the world's largest network of academic research groups dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for breast cancer.
  • In 2019, in keeping with royal tradition, she became a patron and honorary member of the Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België (KAGB) and an honorary member of the Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique (ARMB), the Dutch and French-speaking royal academies of medicine respectively.
  • The Queen was special envoy of the World Health Organization Europe in promoting vaccinations.
  • The Queen has undertaken several humanitarian missions concerning children's rights, health, fighting poverty, quality education, good governance, women's economic empowerment, non-communicable diseases, among others.

Economic, cultural and academic involvement

  • The Queen is a member of the Schwab Foundation Board on social entrepreneurship. 
  • The Queen attends the World Economic Forum in Davos every year.
  • She believes in lifelong learning, and as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, she took courses in Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Yale University.
  • Since 2014, the Queen has granted her High Patronage to the Queen Elisabeth Competition, a springboard for exceptional violinists, pianists, singers and cellists with burgeoning international careers, true to the joint project of Eugène Ysaÿe and Queen Elisabeth.
  • On 30 May 2023, the Queen received an honorary doctorate from Hasselt University for her strong social commitment. By doing this, the University wanted to acknowledge the way the Queen raises awareness and gives visibility to the great challenges of our time, whether it is education, equal educational opportunities, child poverty, the position of women in this country and in the Global South, financial literacy or mental health.
  • Since 2026, the Queen has been leading Belgian economic missions abroad in representation of His Majesty the King.

Personal life and interests

Their Majesties the King and Queen have 4 children: Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (2001), Gabriël (2003), Emmanuel (2005) and Eléonore (2008).

Her Majesty the Queen has a broad interest in culture, art and dance. She loves literature, and classical and contemporary music.

In her free time, the Queen enjoys hiking, cycling and playing tennis, as well as spending time outdoors.