Tiara Thursday: The Tiaras of Queen Mathilde (and a Programming Note)

The blog is taking a long weekend, so I'll leave you with another round of our tiara retrospective game:

Queen Mathilde turned 43 this week! After a couple years as Queen of the Belgians, the birthday girl finally has a little bit of variety to add to a collection that's never been expansive. Her tiara list may be on the small side compared to others, but recent debuts (and her slow introduction of pieces from the late Queen Fabiola's collection) mean that there's still plenty of interest here.

Queen Elisabeth's Diamond Bandeau

The tiara Queen Mathilde wore on her wedding day was borrowed from her new mother-in-law, Queen Paola. She hasn't worn it since, so this is not one I would count among her current options.

Mathilde's Laurel Wreath Tiara

Cour grand-ducale/Christian Aschman

In her princess years, Mathilde's one and only tiara was this diamond laurel wreath, given to her by the Belgian nobility as a wedding present. The flexibility to wear it as a necklace (see below) and its classic motif do make it a good option to have when there's only one option to be had.

The Nine Provinces Tiara

Belgian Monarchy

She wasted no time throwing some variety into the mix once King Philippe took the throne, quickly debuting the bandeau portion of the Nine Provinces Tiara for the couple's first official portraits as king and queen. The "queen's tiara" of the Belgian monarchy was handed over to her by Queen Paola.

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Interestingly, she was also quick to make the Nine Provinces her new sole option in the first couple years of Philippe's reign, leaving her Laurel Wreath Tiara behind. Queen Mathilde established the small version of the tiara as her new standard, saving the debut of the full version for her trip to Denmark for Queen Margrethe's birthday in 2015.

The Wolfers Necklace Tiara

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In 2015, more variety - and an alternative to the Nine Provinces - appeared up when she wore Queen Fabiola's Wolfers Necklace Tiara for the first time. (She also brought back the Laurel Wreath Tiara, as a necklace.)

Which of Queen Mathilde's tiaras is your favorite?

What remains to be seen: Queen Fabiola's Spanish Wedding Gift Tiara, will we see it again? (The current Belgian royal tiaras, they must be the most diamond-dependent grouping outside of...well, Japan, I suppose. It would be fabulous to see something with a colored stone for a change.) Will Mathilde settle into a pattern, using specific tiaras for specific types of events, or will she mix it up? Only time will tell...