This stylish royal is bringing back classic fashion as she channels the 50s with Dior again

Queen Mathilde of the Belgians is a hard-working consort. She is the patron of several large organisations, including the internationally-recognised Queen Elisabeth Competition for musicians. However, she has also quietly been establishing her sartorial profile over the last few years, with the help of one key designer. 

On Sunday, 18 May, Queen Mathilde wore a white Christian Dior midi-dress inspired by Dior’s own 1947 Bar Suit for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. 

The dress features a belted jacket and pleated skirt, for a more muted silhouette than the original. She first wore it in September 2024 when Pope Francis visited Belgium, making it a fitting choice for Sunday. This is not the first time that Mathilde has recently turned to Dior, though. 

In 2024, the Belgian Queen wore a similar dress in a rich berry pink for her arrival in France for a State Visit. The nipped waist and padded shoulders very much echoed Dior’s New Look. And she wore a custom Dior gown for the State Banquet, a navy gown with crystal accents on the decolletage. 

Her Majesty does not only wear Dior abroad, though. In February 2025, she chose a navy suit from the French house for the annual mass of remembrance for family members who have passed. 

While she may not be the most-attention grabbing royal, Queen Mathilde has become a go-to fashion figure.