Princess Claire of Belgium, (born Claire Louise Coombs, in Bath, England, on 18 January 1974) is the wife of Prince Laurent of Belgium and is a land surveyor.
[edit] Biography
She is a daughter of Nicholas Coombs, a British-born businessman, and his Belgian wife, Nicole, née Mertens. Her family relocated to Dion-le-Val, near to Brussels in francophone Wallonia in 1977. She has therefore lived in Belgium since age 3.
[edit] Wedding and descendance
On 12 April 2003, she married Prince Laurent of Belgium, the second son of Albert II of Belgium. The civil ceremony was held at Brussels Town Hall, and the religious ceremony at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula. The wedding gown was an Edouard Vermeulen design. The bride was created a Princess of Belgium in her own right shortly before the ceremony, on 1 April 2003 and upon her marriage, she became Her Royal Highness Princess Claire.
The royal couple has a daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Louise Sophie Mary, who was born on 6 February 2004. On 28 June 2005, they announced that Princess Claire was pregnant with twins. She was expected to give birth in January 2006 but, following complications, she gave birth to Prince Nicolas Casimir Marie and Prince Aymeric Auguste Marie on 13 December 2005.
[edit] Duties
Unlike her two sisters-in-law, Mathilde and Astrid, Claire has no defined official role, though she occasionally appears in public accompanying her husband, generally in support of environmental causes or animal charities. Princess Claire has been awarded the Order of Leopold. She is also a leading patron of the Brussels Choral Society, which sang at the religious part of her marriage ceremony.
[edit] Titles and styles
- Miss Claire Louise Coombs (1974-2003)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Claire of Belgium (2003–present)
In contrast to King Albert II's title, King of the Belgians, Princess Claire is called Princess of Belgium, not Princess of the Belgians, a title that does not exist. She received this title from the King ten days before her marriage, by Royal Decree of April 1st 2003 (entered into force on the date of the wedding, on 12 April 2003). This title is no longer automatic for a consort since a Royal Decree of 1991, abrogating the 1891 Royal Decree that provided this automatism.
Prince Laurent doesn't hold a personal title as younger princes used to in the past, such as Count of Flanders or Prince of Liège. So she has no other title as a consort.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Belgian honours
[edit] Foreign honours
[edit] Ancestry
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16. Henry Arthur Coombs |
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8. Henry Nicholas F. Coombs |
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17. Philicitas Hester Fontenella |
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4. Nicholas Charles Coombs |
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18. Carl Deidrik Leonardt |
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9. Beatrice Flora Leonardt |
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19. Emily Barber |
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2. Nicholas John Coombs |
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20. William Knight Harmer |
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10. Robert Joseph Harmer |
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21. Catherine Robbins |
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5. Olive Mary Harmer |
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22. ? Brock |
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11. Mildred Brock |
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23. ? |
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1. Princess Claire of Belgium, née Coombs |
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24. Antoine Joseph Mertens |
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12. Liévin Mertens |
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25. Elisabeth Parys |
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6. André Mertens |
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26. Philibert Mary |
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13. Eva Mary |
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27. Celestine Brison |
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3. Nicole Mertens |
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28. Joseph Sclifet |
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14. Adhémar Sclifet |
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29. Juliette Tricout |
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7. Marie Louise Sclifet |
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30. Albert Rousseau |
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15. Philomène Rousseau |
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31. Alix Durant |
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[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Photo from the Royal Family's official website - ribbon :
- ^ Photo from Website of Belga Pictures - ribbon :
- ^ Photo from Website of Belga Pictures - ribbon :
- ^ Photo from the Royal Family's official website
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| 1st Generation |
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| 2nd Generation |
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| 3rd Generation |
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| 4th Generation |
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| 5th Generation |
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*did not have a royal or noble title by birth
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Claire Of Belgium, Princess |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
18 January 1974 |
| Place of birth |
Bath, England |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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Belgium (Orders) : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold - 
Netherlands (Orders) : Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (2006)[1]
Norway (Orders) : Grand-Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit [2]
Portugal (Orders) : Grand-Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (2005) [3] [4]
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