![The King and Queen of the Belgians arrive for the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde01.jpg?resize=1200%2C867&ssl=1)
The King and Queen of the Belgians embarked on a state visit to South Africa at the end of last week, and Mathilde wore a lovely pair of diamond earrings for Thursday’s state dinner.
![The King and Queen of the Belgians, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and South African Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu, arrive for the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde02.jpg?resize=1200%2C951&ssl=1)
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the guests of honor, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, to Thursday’s state dinner in Pretoria. They were joined by Lindiwe Zulu, the nation’s Minister of Social Development.
![The King and Queen of the Belgians attend the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde03.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
The banquet took place on the first evening of the four-day state visit.
![The King and Queen of the Belgians arrive for the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde05.jpg?resize=1200%2C1779&ssl=1)
The men attending the state dinner wore business suits, while the women wore either cocktail dress or evening gowns. Queen Mathilde opted for the latter, wearing a gown with sequin detailing. The dress was made by one of her go-to designers, Natan.
Mathilde previously wore the gown in October 2019 during a state visit to Luxembourg.
![The King and Queen of the Belgians attend the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde04.jpg?resize=1164%2C1532&ssl=1)
On both occasions, she wore the dress with diamond fringe earrings from her collection. In Luxembourg, she wore her ribbon tassel earrings, but on Thursday, she chose another pair of fringe earrings from her jewelry box.
![The Queen of the Belgians arrives for the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde06.jpg?resize=1200%2C1689&ssl=1)
These earrings feature a circular stud and a tassel, all set with diamonds.
![Queen Mathilde of the Belgians attends the fourth and last session of the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition on May 31, 2014 in Brussels (NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde09.jpg?resize=1200%2C1606&ssl=1)
Mathilde has had the earrings in her jewelry box for at least a decade. She’s worn them for a variety of formal occasions, both evening events and more significant daytime engagements.
![The Duke and Duchess of Brabant arrive on April 29, 2013 to attend a dinner at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam hosted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on the eve of her abdication (CARL COURT/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde07.jpg?resize=1200%2C1505&ssl=1)
Early appearances for the earrings took place during the abdication/inauguration celebrations in the Netherlands in April 2013. For the gala dinner at the Rijksmuseum, she wore the earrings with the Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara and Queen Fabiola’s Diamond Fringe Brooch.
![The Duchess of Brabant arrives at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam for the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on April 30, 2013 (TOUSSAINT KLUITERS/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde08.jpg?resize=1200%2C1628&ssl=1)
She also wore the earrings for the inauguration ceremony the following day, which had a formal daywear dress code.
![Queen Mathilde of the Belgians is pictured before attending a state dinner in honor of the President of China at the Royal Palace in Laeken on March 31, 2014 (BENOIT DOPPAGNE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde10.jpg?resize=1120%2C1536&ssl=1)
In March 2014, she wore the earrings with the bandeau base of the Nine Provinces Tiara during a state visit from the President of China.
![The King and Queen of the Belgians and their four children attend the annual Christmas Concert at the Royal Palace on December 17, 2014 in Brussels, Belgium (Mark Renders/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde11.jpg?resize=1200%2C1231&ssl=1)
She’s also worn the earrings for concert events. Here, she wears them for the annual Christmas concert in Brussels in 2014. (Look how little the kids are!)
![The King and Queen of the Belgians smile as they attend the opening concert for the Dutch presidency of the European Union council on January 22, 2016 at the Bozar in Brussels (DIRK WAEM/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde12.jpg?resize=1200%2C1531&ssl=1)
She wore them for another concert, this time linked to the European Union Council, in Brussels in January 2016.
![The Queen of the Belgians arrives for a concert by the Belgian National Orchestra on the eve of Belgium's National Day on July 20, 2016 at Bozar in Brussels (KRISTOF VAN ACCOM/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde14.jpg?resize=1200%2C1700&ssl=1)
She wore them again for a concert by Belgium’s National Orchestra a few months later, in July 2016.
![The Duchess of Brabant and the Queen of the Belgians pose after the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition in Brussels, on June 3, 2017 (NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde13.jpg?resize=1200%2C1727&ssl=1)
And here, she wears them for the finals of the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition in June 2017.
![The Queen of the Belgians arrives for the state banquet at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, during a state visit to the Republic of South Africa, Thursday 23 March 2023 (OLIVIER POLET/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0327-01-mathilde06.jpg?resize=1200%2C1689&ssl=1)
Here’s one more look at the earrings with the glittering Natan gown during Thursday’s state dinner.
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