Posted by Henri M on July 5, 2013, 9:31 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Mathilde"
Mathilde and Claire are ladies whom happen to be married to sons from Fabiola's late husband's brother. With other words, there is no any blood relationship and at best a remote in-law relationship.
This does not prevent Queen Fabiola to make arrangements for her jewels, if she wants. The relationship of the late Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland, to Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is even more distant (Victoria is a daughter to her late husband's nephew) and this did not prevent the transfer of beautiful jewels to her.
Sweden has the luck that there are no (or very moderate) succession taxes. In Belgium these taxes are hefty, for sure in a situation where there is no blood relationship. Queen Fabiola is busy with Foundations (and undeservedly criticized for that, she does nothing illegal) and we need to see how this all works out. Mathilde has nothing to 'win' with a bequest which cost her an enormous sum in succession taxes. The best hope is that Queen Fabiola will give jewels as a cadeau to the new Queen, but she could have done so to Queen Paola, her sister-in-law, and never did.