Latest news with #QueenMathilde
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
King and Queen of Belgium Stranded in Chile After Flight Malfunction
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are stuck in Chile following problems with the aircraft that was supposed to take them home The King and Queen of Belgium were due to fly home on Thursday, June 26, but a "tire incident" involving their flight pushed the plan back King Philipp, 65, and Queen Mathilde, kicked off their Chile trip a day late after "technical problems" with their flight thereKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium's official trip to Chile is extending longer than expected. According to reports, as of June 27, the Belgian royals remain in Chile following a problem with their flight home. King Philippe, 65, and Queen Mathilde, 52, were due to wrap a state visit to the South American country on Thursday, June 26. HLN reported that the King and Queen were supposed to take off on Thursday at 5 p.m., local time, from Antofagasta Airport, but the plane never made it off the runway. The Belgian paper said that the royals were the last to board before it made its way to position on the runway, but that the Airbus rattled as the cabin crew gave safety instructions. As a tow truck moved the plane to its take-off position, a tire was reportedly damaged. Belga New Agency said that the King, Queen and the ministers with them debarked the aircraft after the "tire incident," with the departure expected to be delayed for a few hours. Other members of the delegation initially stayed on board, before being asked to debark. Following the tire replacement, the flight then required official clearance to fly, and the group moved to a hotel while waiting. The outlet identified the aircraft as an Airbus A340-300 operated by Hi Fly, a Portuguese airline. Belga News Agency added that the earliest takeoff time was 12 p.m., local time, on June 27 — but the hiccups continued, Around that hour, royal reporter Wim Dehandschutter wrote on X that the King and Queen "can't fly back today" and that over 16 hours later, the repaired tire has not officially been approved. The update came with a video of King Philippe speaking to the delegation. The transit trouble is the second issue that the King and Queen of Belgium have had on the their Chile trip. The state visit was originally expected to begin on Monday, June 23, but the schedule was cut short by one day due to difficulty with the outward flight, which was also an Airbus A340-300. The royals had planned to fly out from the military airport in Melsbroek around 9 a.m., local time, on Sunday, June 22, but "technical problems" with the aircraft delayed their departure, HLN said. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were later able to fly out of Belgium on Monday morning at 9 a.m, a whole day later. They attended a welcome ceremony in the capital of Santiago with President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday, June 24 and hit the ground running, undertaking a program focused on diplomatic, economic, scientific and social stops and activities while abroad. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
King and Queen stranded in Chile due to faulty plane
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are stranded in Chile due to a fault with their plane. Following a three-day state visit to the country at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, the Belgian royals were due to depart from Antofagasta Airport on Thursday. However, the Airbus A340-300 carrying Philippe, 65, and Mathilde, 52, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and media representatives, 'rattled' and fell 'silent' while being taxied to the runway, HLN reported. Shortly after, passengers were informed that the aircraft was damaged and take-off would be delayed 'by several hours', but the flight was later cancelled with sources saying 'a tire was destroyed.' The plane now needs a replacement wheel before it can attempt another take off, meaning it's unclear when the return flight will depart. During the first Belgian state visit to Latin America in 60 years, the couple enjoyed a welcome ceremony at La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago. But their short trip to Chile has been marred by travel issues because the outbound flight was also delayed by 24 hours due to technical difficulties. Philippe and Mathilde were due to depart from Melsbroek Airport at 9am last Sunday, but were told the night before that their plane was suffering technical issues. They eventually took off 24 hours later on Monday morning in the 24-year-old Airbus, which had been grounded since May 18. The mishap comes after Queen Mathilde experienced another terrifying start to a royal visit after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing in February. The Belgian royal was on her way to Costa Rica when her plane was forced to carry out a priority landing after it suffered a crack to the windshield during the flight. Mathilde was headed to the country for a three-day solo trip organised by UNICEF Belgium and UNICEF Costa Rica when the aircraft suffered the frightening crack. Luckily, staff onboard steered the royal to safety, with the aircraft landing at San José Juan Santamaria International airport just 15 minutes ahead of schedule. While the incident likely sparked concern for the crew onboard, it appeared the incident was unbeknownst to their royal passengers who arrived unscathed and none-the-wiser of the stressful ordeal. Writing on X, royal commentator, Wim Dehandschutter, wrote: 'The airplane with Belgian Queen Mathilde landed in Costa Rica with a cracked windshield, according to this account and local media.' 'I was on that flight. As passengers, we didn't notice anything, and we didn't receive any notification during the flight or upon landing.' He added: 'Our KLM flight did leave Schiphol 20 minutes late, there was turbulence - as on many flights - and the landing was quite hard, but nothing seemed to be alarming. So I was a bit surprised when I read reports in the local media and on X about the 'emergency landing'. It comes after King Philippe of Belgium discussed whether he has plans to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest child in an interview. The 65-year-old Belgian king answered 30 questions put forward by the public in a video shared by the Belgian Royal Palace. One question asked Philippe, who is married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 52, about his plans for abdication, if any. 'A King steps back, but is not retired,' Philippe answered when translated to English via Hola. Should Philippe one day choose to abdicate, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 23, will ascend the throne. In his answer, Philippe continued, 'I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world and I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do.' Philippe's father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son, Philippe, to take over as the nation's king. Aged 53 at the time, then-Prince Philippe took the oath before the nation's legislators at the Parliament building, a short walk across the Royal Park in the heart of the city. The future Belgian queen has certainly made the most of her youth, and is currently studying at Harvard University after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University. In photos shared on the Belgian royal family's official Instagram page last September, Elisabeth appeared excited to settle into her all-American life amid reports she was already a highly sought-after companion among her peers. The Princess is currently enrolled in a two-year Master's program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth has embraced life as a student as she was pictured on the first day of term wearing an understated, yet chic, ensemble - complete with sneakers - in portraits shared by the Palace. The royal enrolled at the institution under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg' at Harvard Kennedy School.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
King Philippe of Belgium discusses abdication plans in new interview
King Philippe of Belgium has discussed whether he has plans to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest child in a new interview. The 65-year-old Belgian king answered 30 questions put forward by the public in a video shared by the Belgian Royal Palace. One question asked Philippe, who is married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 52, about his plans for abdication, if any. 'A King steps back, but is not retired,' Philippe answered when translated to English via Hola. Should Philippe one day choose to abdicate, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 23, will ascend the throne. In his answer, Philippe continued, 'I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world and I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do.' Philippe's father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son, Philippe, to take over as the nation's king. Aged 53 at the time, then-Prince Philippe took the oath before the nation's legislators at the Parliament building, a short walk across the Royal Park in the heart of the city. The future Belgian queen has certainly made the most of her youth, and is currently studying at Harvard University after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University. In photos shared on the Belgian royal family's official Instagram page last September, Elisabeth appeared excited to settle into her all-American life amid reports she was already a highly sought-after companion among her peers. The Princess is currently enrolled in a two-year Master's program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth has embraced life as a student as she was pictured on the first day of term wearing an understated, yet chic, ensemble - complete with sneakers - in portraits shared by the Palace. The royal enrolled at the institution under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg' at Harvard Kennedy School. The palace told Brussels Times, 'The Princess was also selected for an 'Honorary Award' from the Fullbright Program, the US Department of State's international educational exchange programme. ' According to the university's website, the course aims to cultivate student's skills in preparation for them having a 'successful career in public service'. Princess Elisabeth has been touted as being one of the most intelligent royals - arguably surpassing Meghan Markle who was once dubbed the 'cleverest' of them. Not long after enrolling at the institution, the Princess celebrated her 23rd birthday, with the Palace releasing a series of sweet snaps to mark the occasion. Beaming towards the camera, Elisabeth wore a stylish in set from ba&sh, including a £240 short-sleeved vest with a jacquard pattern and a matching £230 midi skirt. The royal ditched a high-society snapper and had a fellow student called Max Bueno take the images - a scholarship student studying at the same school as Elisabeth. Max, a professional photographer, also documented the royal's first day at school in the official portraits shared by the Belgian Palace last September. According to HLN News, Elisabeth, had settled in well at her new American school because, perhaps unsurprisingly, 'quite a few people want to be her friend'. And proving her academic ability has never a struggle for Elisabeth, who only last year completed her studies at Oxford last year. Last summer, Princess Elisabeth thanked the University of Oxford for three 'wonderful' years. She moved to the UK in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College. Fiercely dedicated to not receiving special treatment thanks to her status, Elisabeth completed her entrance exam for Oxford 'anonymously' to ensure her royal status would not affect her chances of being offered a place, reported the Belgian newspaper Le Soir. Elisabeth graduated in three years with a degree in History and Politics, something she reportedly chose because she felt it would be most useful to her in her role as Queen later in life. After Elisabeth finished her studies in England, she took part in various engagements throughout the summer with her parents. An accomplished 23-year-old by any measure, the official royal website says Elisabeth enjoys walking in nature, reading and playing the piano – although like 'all youngsters her age', writes the palace, 'her taste in music is varied.' Elisabeth - who speaks Dutch, French, German, English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese - began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Belgian princess left in doubt about her Harvard future following Trump's foreign student ban
BRUSSELS — Belgium's Royal Palace said Friday that Princess Elisabeth, who is first in line to the throne, is waiting to find out whether she can return to Harvard for her second year after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ban on foreign students at the university. The Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying thousands of students must transfer to other schools or leave the country. 'We are looking into the situation, to see what kind of impact this decision might have on the princess, or not. It's too early to say right now,' said the palace's communications head, Xavier Baert. Baert said that Princess Elisabeth, aged 23, has completed her first year of a graduate school program at Harvard and would spend the summer back in Belgium. 'And we'll have to see what happens next year,' he said. The princess is the first of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and has been studying for a Master in Public Policy. Last year, she obtained a degree in history and politics at Lincoln College at Oxford in the U.K. Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, accounting for more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries. The university filed a lawsuit on Friday in federal court in Boston, saying that the Trump administration's action violates the First Amendment and will have an 'immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.'
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Belgian princess left in doubt about her Harvard future following Trump's foreign student ban
Belgium's Royal Palace said Friday that Princess Elisabeth, who is first in line to the throne, is waiting to find out whether she can return to Harvard for her second year after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ban on foreign students at the university. The Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying thousands of students must transfer to other schools or leave the country. 'We are looking into the situation, to see what kind of impact this decision might have on the princess, or not. It's too early to say right now,' said the palace's communications head, Xavier Baert. Baert said that Princess Elisabeth, aged 23, has completed her first year of a graduate school program at Harvard and would spend the summer back in Belgium. 'And we'll have to see what happens next year,' he said. The princess is the first of four children born to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and has been studying for a Master in Public Policy. Last year, she obtained a degree in history and politics at Lincoln College at Oxford in the U.K. Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, accounting for more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries. The university filed a lawsuit on Friday in federal court in Boston, saying that the Trump administration's action violates the First Amendment and will have an 'immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.'
