Belgium’s Queen Mathilde sweetly greets King Albert II’s love child Princess Delphine as they attend a Holy Mass held by Pope Francis in Brussels

Queen Mathilde of Belgium was today accompanied by Princess Delphine during the two attended Sunday Masses held by Pope Francis in Belgium.

Mathilde, 51, looked regal in an all-white ensemble, while Delphine, 53, wore a typically striking pink suit to the Holy Mass led by the Pope at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

The remarkable appearance of the aPrincess Delphine – formerly known as Delphine Boël – marks an important step in her quest for recognition for her royal heritage.

The royals looked animated as they greeted each other during the service, their faces lighting up in smiles as they shared an affection.

Mathilde’s husband, King Philippe, was also present at the service, along with their eldest son, Prince Gabriel.

Mathilde wore an all-white ensemble, similar to the snow-white suit she wore on Friday, on the second day of the Pope’s weekend visit to Belgium.

Today’s dress consisted of a blazer with long sleeves, buttoned to the neck, and a long pleated skirt worn below the knee.

Mathilde protected her eyes from the early morning sun on the weekend and wore stylish sunglasses.

She wore her blow-dried blonde locks in soft waves and sported a typically subtle makeup look, with naturally glowing skin and pink lips.

Meanwhile, Delphine wore an outfit that was relatively tame compared to her usual adventurous ensembles.

On this occasion, the Belgian royal family wore a beautiful pink suit with a love heart embossed on the back, and underneath a plain T-shirt with a high neck.

She wore a chunky red bracelet, stylish sunglasses and a gold love heart necklace with the word ‘love’ written in it.

She appeared make-up free and wore her golden locks neatly combed back from her face.

The royal has become known in the past for her statement looks.

Delphine has previously donned a number of bright and colorful ensembles, including a statement outfit she wore in July, which featured a tailored suit colored with bold pink and red hues.

Also in attendance was Queen Mathilde’s husband, King Philippe of Belgium, who complemented his wife’s all-white ensemble by wearing an all-black suit and tie.

He completed the look with a thick black overcoat and combed his hair neatly back for the occasion.

The Belgian royals were also accompanied by their eldest son, Prince Gabriel of Belgium, 21, who wore a blue overcoat along with a smart suit and gold-patterned tie.

Today marks the end of the visit by the 87-year-old pope, who stayed in Belgium as part of a trip to ‘the heart of Europe’ to discuss the continent’s role in the world.

Princess Delphine has had a difficult road to recognition as the love child of her country’s former monarch.

She is believed to be the result of an 18-year affair between former monarch King Albert II, 89, who abdicated in 2013 in favor of his son King Philippe, 63, and Belgian aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, 82, that started in the 1960s.

Now Delphine has attended royal engagements and says her relationship with her father has healed after years of bitterness.

Three years ago she was officially named the daughter of King Albert II of Belgium, but in 2023 she reportedly wrote a legal letter to the government asking to be invited to official events like her half-siblings, Princess Astrid, 61 , and Prince Laurent, 60. .

After a court officially recognized her as the love child of Belgium’s former king in October 2020, Delphine said her struggle to be recognized as a royal was not about money or status, but rather to be treated with the same “respect” as her half. -brothers or sisters.

For decades, the former king distanced himself from Princess Delphine and her mother to maintain his marriage.

After the birth of Princess Delphine in 1968, the king initially remained in frequent contact with his child and her mother. But when Delphine reached her 16th birthday, the king began to distance himself.

In 2013, the same year that King Albert abdicated for health reasons and was succeeded by his son King Philip, Princess Delphine launched a legal bid to be officially recognized as Albert’s daughter – which she won in October 2020.

Now Delphine has the right to bear the royal name de Saxe-Cobourg and is formally recognized as a member of the Belgian royal family, as are her two children, Princess Joséphine of Belgium, 19, and Prince Oscar of Belgium, 14, with whom she shares with partner James O’Hare.