State Visit of Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Belgium — Day 2

President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde

At the invitation of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, is paying a two-day State Visit to Belgium, accompanied by his daughter, Laura Mattarella. On the second day of the visit, President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde visited the Royal Library of Belgium.

President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde

President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde

President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde

President Sergio Mattarella, Laura Mattarella, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde
23 Comments
  1. Laura Mattarella has a pleasant, easy and classy style that looks practical and top-notch. She wins hands down. Mathilde looks like she spent hours putting together a non-flattering, matronly outfit the colour of which washes her out completely. It is an expensive outfit that does Mathilde no favours. - Ellie

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    1. I rather agree that Mathilde's outfit is not the best design for her, particularly the bottom part.

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    2. I agree with comments. They seem on point about both women. I do wish Mathilde would find a good stylist to determine the most flattering designs for the Queen’s silhouette.

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    3. I agree with comments. They seem on point about both women. I do wish Mathilde would find a good stylist to determine the most flattering designs for the Queen’s silhouette.

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  2. P. the original21/10/25 14:41

    There would be so much to say ...
    Italy/ Belgium histories were so tightly connected especially After World War II but relationships were not always peaceful.
    I am so happy to see how the Belgian Royal Family entertained President Mattarella and his daughter.
    Some wounds seem to have been mended.
    King Philippe must be a warm- hearted gentleman and King, he knows how many Italians suffered from all sorts of basic needs when they were forced to emigrate and work in Belgian coalmines.
    I see genuine mutual admiration between these two Heads of State , heartwarming.

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    1. That’s a very nice sentiment to read P.

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    2. The kings mother is Italian

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    3. The state visit will take place during 3 days and not 2 like annoynced in the introduction.
      King Philippe's great aunt Princess Marie-José was married to Umberto the last king of Italy. She was the daughter of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth, the great grand parents of King Philippe.
      This morning they went to see an Exhibition of manuscripts of Dante Alighieri at the Royal library in Brussels.
      They also will visit Marcinelle and remembering the mine disaster at Bois du Cazier which took place 70 years ago. 262 miners died, among whom were many Italians. Last year Queen Paola went there to a remembering ceremony accompanied by 2 of her grandsons Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas, sons of Prince Laurent. I am sure if her health condition would be better she would have been there this time too.
      A working lunch on aeronautics will take place at Ecaussines.
      There will be also a Concert at La Monnaie in Brussels.
      On programs published on different websites visits to Charleroi and Bruges were mentionned too, but I don't know if they will take place.

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  3. The Queen has wide hips. And she also has a rather slim upper body. Both features are completely all right separately and also together as we see them in Queen Mathilde. But as the eye enjoys good proportions, it would be better for her not to accentuate this proportionally suboptimal relationship by wearing wide skirts. I am repeatedly mystified by the fact that she does not seem to recognize or care for this. - For me, this is not a matronly look, she looks exactly her own age and lovely and this same dress would look on somebody else, say Letizia (who would probably ditch that little bow), perfectly nice. Belts and wide skirts are simply not Mathilde's terrain.

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    1. I agree

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    2. I think Mathilde is probably quite aware of her own body shape, and that “she does not seem to recognize or care for this” is unfair and quite likely untrue. Being in the public eye, being scrutinised and having a body shape which is more challenging must be really rough.

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  4. In April 2024 Queen Mathilde wore this silk coat dress by the house of Dior for the first time at the state visit of the G.D. Luxembourg to Belgium. It was a windy and rainy day, much more than this morning. The coat dress is completely wrong. The very light pink washes her out. The shape of the dress makes Queen Mathilde look so heavy. The little hat has not a good shape for her. The only beautiful things she is wearing are her shoes, handbag and earrings. It does not often happen that the queen is wearing a complete wrong outfit. Of an haute couture brand as Dior, one would expect a better result. As one of its good clients, she should send the dress back and tell them she was not happy with these clothes. What a contradiction with the beautiful outfits made by Armani Privé she wore yesterday.

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  5. Will admit Queen Mathilde's outfit is not a favorite as the color does nothing for her. I can live with the outfit but the hat--or the pancake--is awful. That thing is terrible and needs to be tossed. Ms Mattarella's suit is beautiful and classic.

    Janet

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  6. Mathilde is perhaps not best in this colour. I was reflecting what simple changes might be made to make this outfit come alive, and I think that even a larger brimmed hat would have helped balance out the outfit, which is bottom heavy with much too much skirt, in my opinion. And were the neck tire to be in almost any other colour it would brighten the outfit near her face.

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    1. Oops “tie” not “tire”. An ironic mistake.

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    2. I agree with you and with almost all the posts which consider that the colour. The lack of colour does he r no avours at all and, as you suggest, even a coloured scarf or a contrasting hat might have made all the difference.

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  7. The colour: Mathilde is almost always wonderful in the non-colour white. I think the problem is less the "washing out" by this (in itself) beautiful pink (I love it), the problem is the dress itself, the hat, the closed-up neckline. If belt and shawl or whatever that piece of fabric should be called were another colour (purple? aubergine? dark lavender?), that would make a difference. And yes, pancake on head is not really good.

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  8. La fille du Président sait souvent choisir des tenues classiques avec une touche d’élégance

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  9. La fille du Président sait souvent choisir des tenues classiques avec
    quelquefois une pointe d’originalité !

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  10. Agree that this color does not work, but even the whole outfit doesn’t work. It’s what I would think would have been worn back in the ‘50s or ‘60s by someone in her role. The whole outfit ages her by at least a decade or two.

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    1. I don’t mind - in fact I love! - seeing someone dressing in outfits from the 50s and 60s. The problem comes when the outfit doesn’t suit them, and this one doesn’t work for Mathilde.

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  11. I feel the idea was there for the Queen's ensemble. Overall look though not so sure. The Presidents daughter looks beautiful, I love her outfit and the color accessories she has chose. A quiet elegance.

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  12. Concernant la reine Mathilde, je trouve la robe quelque peu longue.
    Une longueur genoux aurait été meilleure.

    De même, j’estime que si elle était dégagée au niveau du haut (encolure plus ouverte), cela aurait été meilleure.

    La paire d’escarpins est jolie et féminine.
    J’aurais néanmoins aimé qu’elle optât pour un violet plus soutenu.

    -Astrid.

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