King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have begun their historic State Visit to Vietnam with a very early arrival at Noi Bai International Airport. 

The Belgian King and Queen are in Vietnam for the first Belgian State Visit to Vietnam in over half a century. Not only is the State Visit longer than usual, with the couple officially visiting from 31 March to 4 April, their delegation is much larger. The Belgian party is made up of nearly 150 national and regional government officials, CEOs, and industry figures joining King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. 

The focus of the State Visit will include trade, renewable energy, and social developments. It is expected that several agreements will be put in place. 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will also be visiting an exhibition on Agent Orange, a defoliant that US troops used widely on the general population during the Vietnam War. 

King Philippe has visited Vietnam three times previously as Prince of Brabant. Queen Mathilde also visited Vietnam; in 2023, she spent time there in her role as Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium. 

Queen Mathilde is ever carrying the torch for Belgian fashion with her first outfits of the trip. For their departure, she wore a red brocade coat from Belgian designer Esmeralda Ammoun. And for the arrival, she reached for the beloved Belgian fashion house, Natan, wearing a striking red suit.