King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are stranded in Chile due to a fault with their plane.
Following a three-day state visit to the country at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, the Belgian royals were due to depart from Antofagasta Airport on Thursday.
However, the Airbus A340-300 carrying Philippe, 65, and Mathilde, 52, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and media representatives, ‘rattled’ and fell ‘silent’ while being taxied to the runway, HLN reported.
Shortly after, passengers were informed that the aircraft was damaged and take-off would be delayed ‘by several hours’, but the flight was later cancelled with sources saying ‘a tire was destroyed.’
The plane now needs a replacement wheel before it can attempt another take off, meaning it’s unclear when the return flight will depart.
During the first Belgian state visit to Latin America in 60 years, the couple enjoyed a welcome ceremony at La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago.
But their short trip to Chile has been marred by travel issues because the outbound flight was also delayed by 24 hours due to technical difficulties.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are stranded in Chile due to technical issues with their plane (seen before attempting to depart on Thursday)
Philippe and Mathilde were due to depart from Melsbroek Airport at 9am last Sunday, but were told the night before that their plane was suffering technical issues.
They eventually took off 24 hours later on Monday morning in the 24-year-old Airbus, which had been grounded since May 18.
The mishap comes after Queen Mathilde experienced another terrifying start to a royal visit after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing in February.
The Belgian royal was on her way to Costa Rica when her plane was forced to carry out a priority landing after it suffered a crack to the windshield during the flight.
Mathilde was headed to the country for a three-day solo trip organised by UNICEF Belgium and UNICEF Costa Rica when the aircraft suffered the frightening crack.
Luckily, staff onboard steered the royal to safety, with the aircraft landing at San José Juan Santamaria International airport just 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
While the incident likely sparked concern for the crew onboard, it appeared the incident was unbeknownst to their royal passengers who arrived unscathed and none-the-wiser of the stressful ordeal.
Writing on X, royal commentator, Wim Dehandschutter, wrote: ‘The airplane with Belgian Queen Mathilde landed in Costa Rica with a cracked windshield, according to this account and local media.’
The pair were on a three-day state visit to Chile at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font
Mathilde and Philippe’s plane was also carrying government officials, media representatives, and academics
Queen Mathilde put on an elegant display in a smart black coat upon her arrival at the Presidential Palace of La Moneda, in Santiago, Chile
Chilean President Gabriel Boric (right) welcomed King Philippe of Belgium (left) at La Moneda Palace
‘I was on that flight. As passengers, we didn’t notice anything, and we didn’t receive any notification during the flight or upon landing.’
He added: ‘Our KLM flight did leave Schiphol 20 minutes late, there was turbulence – as on many flights – and the landing was quite hard, but nothing seemed to be alarming. So I was a bit surprised when I read reports in the local media and on X about the ’emergency landing’.
It comes after King Philippe of Belgium discussed whether he has plans to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest child in an interview.
The 65-year-old Belgian king answered 30 questions put forward by the public in a video shared by the Belgian Royal Palace.
One question asked Philippe, who is married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, 52, about his plans for abdication, if any.
‘A King steps back, but is not retired,’ Philippe answered when translated to English via Hola.
Should Philippe one day choose to abdicate, his eldest daughter, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 23, will ascend the throne.
In his answer, Philippe continued, ‘I will continue to work for Belgium and I must give my daughter time to enjoy her youth, develop herself and see the world and I support her 100 percent in that and I will do everything I can to give her all the time she needs to do.’
Philippe’s father, King Albert of Belgium, abdicated in 2013 after a 20-year reign, clearing the way for his son, Philippe, to take over as the nation’s king.
Aged 53 at the time, then-Prince Philippe took the oath before the nation’s legislators at the Parliament building, a short walk across the Royal Park in the heart of the city.
The future Belgian queen has certainly made the most of her youth, and is currently studying at Harvard University after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oxford University.
In photos shared on the Belgian royal family’s official Instagram page last September, Elisabeth appeared excited to settle into her all-American life amid reports she was already a highly sought-after companion among her peers.
The Princess is currently enrolled in a two-year Master’s program in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Away from her royal duties, Elisabeth has embraced life as a student as she was pictured on the first day of term wearing an understated, yet chic, ensemble – complete with sneakers – in portraits shared by the Palace.
The royal enrolled at the institution under the name ‘Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg’ at Harvard Kennedy School.
