Queen Mathilde and King Philippe lead Belgian royals at annual mass in Brussels

Queen Mathilde of Belgium looked typically radiant as she led the Belgian royal family at the annual mass in Brussels today alongside husband King Philippe. Mathilde, who recently celebrated her 52nd birthday, and 64-year-old Philippe were accompanied by other Belgian and international royals, including former monarch King Albert II and wife Queen Paola, at the church of Notre-Dame de Laeken in Brussels.

Mathilde was dressed formally for Tuesday's mass - a memorial service to remember deceased members of the Belgian royal family - in a navy, full-length, military style jacket complete with brushed gold buttons and a pillbox hat in the same shade. The beaming mother-of-four, who carried flowers in her gloved hands, including a single rose, to be laid at the Royal Crypt after the mass, added a pair of diamond hoop earrings and brightened her complexion with bronzer and rose-coloured lipstick.

King Philippe, meanwhile, looked smart in a white shirt and deep blue, patterned tie, which was just visible beneath his heavy black overcoat. The royal couple's four children, heir to the throne Princess Elisabeth, 23, Prince Gabriel, 21, Prince Emmanuel, 19, and Princess Eléonore, 16, appeared not to be in attendance. The Belgian king was seen assisting his elderly parents, former monarch King Albert II, 90, who abdicated and made way for his eldest son in 2013, and Queen Paola, 87.

Queen Paola was wrapped up in a full-length brown fur jacket and patterned shawl, which she wore with pearl earrings, while Albert protected himself from the cool Brussels weather in a navy overcoat and oatmeal-coloured scarf. Queen Mathilde of Belgium (pictured) was radiant as she attended the annual mass at the church of Notre-Dame de Laeken in Brussels today. Albert's second son, Prince Laurent, 61, was also in attendance along with his wife Princess Claire, 51, who sported a chic grey, double-breasted jacket.

Beneath her jacket, smiling Claire wore a black turtleneck which she accessorised with three strings of pearls. While King Philippe's sister Princess Astrid appeared not to be present at the the church of Notre-Dame de Laeken, the monarch's half-sister Princess Delphine and her American husband James O'Hare were there. Artist Princess Delphine, 56, who looked striking in a short dress paired with fishnet tights and white platform shoes, is the love child of Albert II and Belgian aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 83, with whom Albert had an 18-year affair beginning in the 1960s.

Delphine, formerly known as Delphine Boel, only won the right to call herself a princess in October 2020 after a seven-year legal battle to prove that Albert was her father. While she was told she could use the royal title as well as the surname of former King Albert II in a ruling by the Brussels Court of Appeal on Friday, October 1, 2020, Delphine has complained of being excluded from official royal events as recently as last November.

Less controversially, King Philippe's aunt, Princess Lea, 73, of Belgium and half-aunt Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium, 68, also attended the religious ceremony on Tuesday. While Lea wore a dark green cape, Marie-Esmeralda wore a brown coat with a leopard print scarf and a fur hat. King Philippe (left), 64, was seen assisting his elderly parents, former monarch King Albert II (centre) and Queen Paola, 87.

Queen Mathilde (left) stands in the church with husband King Philippe. His parents, former monarch King Albert II and Queen Paola are seated. King Philippe's younger brother Prince Laurent (right) arrived with his wife Princess Claire, who accessorised her monochrome outfit with three strings of pearls. King Philippe's half-sister, Princess Delphine, was seen with her American husband James O'Hare (both pictured).

In addition to the Belgian royals, Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg , 43, heir to the Luxembourgian throne, attended the annual mass along with his wife Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, 56, and their son Prince Leopold, 23. The royal family of Luxembourg shares close ties with the Belgian royal family. After the annual mass in the church, the Belgian royals and other attendees visited the Royal Crypt, housed within Notre-Dame de Laeken, where all members of the Belgian royal family are buried.

The first annual mass was held on February 17, 1935, to mark the first anniversary of the death of King Albert I of Belgium, who died at the age of 58 in a climbing accident. Queen Mathilde of Belgium in particular has been extremely busy lately. Yesterday, she looked typically chic in a grey cape as she visited a secondary school in Brussels alongside an award-winning Belgian author. The royal joined pupils at the College Matteo Ricci secondary school in Anderlecht, in the south-western part of the Belgian capital, for a special literary event with writer Genevieve Damas.