Crown Princess Mathilde and Queen Fabiola at Piano Competition 2013 finals

Queen Fabiola of Belgium, Crown Princess Mathilde of Belgium and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein attended a session of the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition 2013 finals in Brussels.

The second edition of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, then known as Eugène Ysaÿe Competition, took place in Brussels from May 15 - May 31, 1938, and was the inaugural edition of its piano competition. It was won by Emil Gilels, whose sister Elizabeth had been awarded the 6th prize the previous year. Jean Absil composed his Piano Concerto op.30 for the competition. A third edition devoted to orchestral conducting was scheduled for the following year, but due to the outbreak of World War II the competition's third edition didn't take place until 1951. Eventually, no conducting competition has taken place to date.