The Belgian Royal Family hosted the Emperor and Empress of Japan for a glittering State Banquet at Château de Laeken.
Diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds were on show yesterday evening at Château de Laeken, where the Belgian King and Queen, with the Royal Family, hosted a state banquet in honour of the Japanese Emperor’s and Empress’s state visit. The Imperial Couple were received earlier in the day with military honours at the Royal Palace before proceeding to City Hall.
The first day of the official programme ended with a dinner with historical milestones on both sides of the diplomatic relationship. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were treated to a lavish dinner in the Royal Castle, which is one of the Belgian Monarch’s official residences.
Empress Masako wore, for the second time, Princess Chichibu’s Diamond Honeysuckle Tiara along with the necklace that accompanies the piece, which dates to the late 1920s. The tiara was made for Princess Chichibu to mark her marriage to Prince Chichibu (Yasuhito), the second son of Emperor Taisho and a brother of Emperor Hirohito. After Princess Chichibu died in 1995, the piece returned to the Imperial Household and was later worn frequently by Empress Michiko. Empress Masako first wore the Honeysuckle tiara last week at the state banquet in Amsterdam hosted by King Philippe and Queen Maxima.
Last evening, Queen Mathilde wore the Nine Provinces Tiara that the Queen regularly chooses for significant occasions. While the Belgian collection is not as vast as some other Houses around the world, the Nine Provinces, with its stature and versatility, is reserved only for the current Queen. The illustrious diamond piece was a gift from the government to Princess Astrid in 1926 upon her marriage to Crown Prince Leopold.
The Duchess of Brabant, Princess Elisabeth, wore the Laurel Wreath Tiara for the first time, which is a relatively new addition. The tiara was acquired for her mother, Queen Mathilde (then-Crown Princess), soon after her marriage to then-Crown Prince Philippe. Made in 1912 by Hennel & Sons, it was a piece which Mathilde frequently wore to early galas and big occasions.
Princess Eleonore made her tiara debut with a new piece purchased for her 18th birthday this past April. Coosemans made the rose-cut tiara, which was most recently sold at auction in 2019, per Benjamin Vaesen. Princess Astrid was wearing the Savoy-Aosta Tiara.
During speeches, both King Philippe and Emperor Naruhito touched on the two families’ ties that stretch back decades.
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