Heirloom Diamonds and Rubies for Princess Elisabeth in Belgium

The King and Queen of the Belgians, with the Duchess of Brabant and Princess Eleonore, attend the annual Christmas concert at the Royal Palace in Brussels on December 18, 2024 (HATIM KAGHAT/Belga News Agency/Alamy)

The Belgian royals were on hand last week for the annual Christmas concert at the Royal Palace in Brussels, and there were plenty of sparkling jewels on display—including an heirloom bracelet worn by the nation’s future monarch.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians arrived at the annual holiday concert at the Royal Palace on Wednesday. They were accompanied by their daughters, the Duchess of Brabant and Princess Eleonore. Princess Elisabeth was able to attend this year’s concert because she was home on break from her studies at Harvard. The King and Queen’s sons, Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel, were not present for the concert. Gabriel is currently a cadet at the Royal Military Academy, while Emmanuel is studying language and sports training at an undisclosed academy abroad. Princess Eleonore is a student at the International School of Brussels.

Belgian Royal Palace

More than five hundred people were in attendance for the traditional Christmas concert at the palace. The event is held in the palace’s elaborate nineteenth-century throne room, with its enormous chandeliers and parquet floors. The room also features several reliefs made by the famed French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

For the concert, all three of the ladies of the royal family were elegant in holiday gala attire. Per UFO No More, the dresses worn by Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth both come from Natan. (Elisabeth borrowed her gown from her mother’s closet.) Princess Eleonore’s shimmering dress is from Ralph Lauren.

With her red dress, Queen Mathilde wore a favorite pair of earrings from her jewelry box. These feature disc-shaped diamond studs from which diamond tassels are suspended. She’s worn the earrings for gala occasions for more than a decade.

Mathilde left her watch and her usual bracelets at home, wearing just her wedding ring on her right hand and her diamond and tanzanite ring on her left.

Queen Mathilde has always been a fan of statement earrings, and it’s clear that she’s passed that passion on to her elder daughter. Elisabeth wore a pair of shoulder-grazing earrings set with red gems with her dress for the concert.

But it was the bracelet that she chose for the occasion that really caught my eye, because it’s a family heirloom! This diamond and ruby bracelet was first worn by Elisabeth’s great-aunt, Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Queen Fabiola of Belgium attends a dinner at the Belgian embassy in London, May 1963 (Keystone Press/Alamy)

You’ll spot the same bracelet on Fabiola’s right wrist in this photograph, taken during the Belgian state visit to Britain in 1963. On this occasion, Fabiola wore the bracelet with diamond and aquamarine jewels, including her Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara.

Last but not least, the youngest member of the family, Princess Eleonore, shimmered in both her sparkling dress and a pair of gem-set earrings. Love to see another emerging royal jewelry-wearer in the family!

Heirloom Diamonds and Rubies for Princess Elisabeth in Belgium

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