Princess Elisabeth Stuns in Floral Carolina Herrera for Belgian
National Day and Every Royal Look Was Impeccable
Every year, you scroll past
images of European royals at formal celebrations and think you have
a pretty good read on what they will wear. A safe gown here, a
predictable hat there. But every so often, one appearance stops you
mid-scroll – not because it breaks any rules, but because every
single detail lands exactly right. That is precisely what happened
when the Belgian royal family stepped out for their country’s most
significant annual public celebration this July, and the fashion
choices told a story all their own.
A national tradition rooted in centuries of history
Belgian National Day falls every
July 21 and is one of 10 national public
holidays in the country. The date marks the
anniversary of the investiture of Leopold I as the first King of
the Belgians in 1831 – a moment that cemented the young nation’s
identity. Interestingly, the holiday was not always tied to that
date. It was originally observed on September 27, commemorating the
expulsion of Dutch forces from Brussels during the Belgian
Revolution in 1830. The shift to July 21 came by law in 1890, a
deliberate move to more closely associate the observance with the
monarchy itself.
So what does the day actually
look like on the ground? The program in Brussels traditionally
begins with a Te Deum – a prayer service – at the medieval
Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, attended by the royal
family and senior dignitaries. That solemn opening gives way to a
military and civil parade in the afternoon around Brussels Park in
front of the Royal Palace. Contingents from Belgium’s NATO and
European Union allies often participate alongside the Belgian Armed
Forces. The surrounding streets take on a carnival-like atmosphere
with live music, food and drink stalls, and the evening closes with
a fireworks show. It is pomp and pageantry layered with genuine
public festivity.
Three royal women, three unforgettable summer looks
This year, King Philippe and
Queen Mathilde were joined by their three children for the
traditional festivities at the cathedral. But it was the
coordinated elegance of the three royal women that captured the
most attention.
Princess Elisabeth, the heir to
the throne and the Duchess of Brabant, arrived fresh from finishing
her graduate degree at Harvard University. She chose a white floral
jacquard midi dress by CH Carolina Herrera – a piece that balanced
youthful energy with the formality the occasion demands. She paired
the dress with a matching hat by Maison Fabienne Delvigne, a
Belgian milliner that has supplied the royal family for decades and
has held a Belgian royal warrant since 2001. The result was
polished without being predictable, and it signaled that
Elisabeth’s style is maturing right alongside her public
role.
Queen Mathilde, meanwhile, opted
for a custom beige raffia-embroidered tulle dress by Natan, also
topped with a Fabienne Delvigne capeline – a wide-brimmed hat that
added an effortless grandeur to her look. The choice of Natan, a
house long associated with Belgian royalty, felt both intentional
and fitting for the nation’s biggest celebration. And the
coordination between mother and daughter through their shared
milliner gave the family’s appearance a subtle visual thread
without veering into anything too matchy.
Princess Eléonore rounded out the
trio with a sky-blue dress by Toteme paired with a two-tone
structured straw headband by Atelier Anne Stoffels, which has
boutiques in both Antwerp and London. Her look skewed slightly more
contemporary, leaning into the kind of minimalist
Scandinavian-influenced aesthetic that resonates with a younger
generation. Yet it still felt entirely appropriate for the
setting.
Why the fashion details matter more than you think
It would be easy to dismiss royal
fashion commentary as surface-level, but the choices these three
women made carry weight. By wearing Belgian designers and artisans
– Natan, Fabienne Delvigne, Atelier Anne Stoffels – they used the
country’s most-watched public moment to spotlight homegrown talent.
Maison Fabienne Delvigne’s relationship with the royal family
stretches back decades, and the house’s Belgian royal warrant, held
since 2001, is a mark of sustained trust and quality. When you see
a royal wearing a local label on national television, that is not
just style; it is soft diplomacy.
Princess Elisabeth’s selection of
CH Carolina Herrera added an international note to the lineup, but
the pairing with a Belgian hat kept the look anchored in national
pride. Could there be a more elegant way to signal that you are a
global citizen who has not forgotten where you come from?
Especially for a future queen who has just returned from an
American Ivy League campus, the balance felt deliberate and
confident.
What we can take away from this year’s celebration
Belgian National Day is
ultimately about continuity – a country honoring the moment its
modern identity began nearly two centuries ago. The
fashion, the Te Deum, the military parade, and the
evening fireworks all serve the same purpose: reinforcing a shared
national narrative. What stood out this year is how naturally the
next generation of the Belgian royal family stepped into that
narrative. Princess Elisabeth, newly returned from Harvard, looked
every bit the future sovereign. Her sister Eléonore brought her own
distinctive style. And Queen Mathilde anchored the family’s public
image with quiet authority. When tradition and individuality
coexist this seamlessly, everyone notices – even the mid-scroll
skeptics among us.