PAGE ONE<< PAGE TWO >> PAGE THREEHow they met: When Prince Laurent first met his future wife, it wasn't exactly a fairy tale, and the couple admit it wasn't love at first sight. After a mutual friend's dinner party in 2000, the prince was helping wash up the dishes when Claire came in to lend a hand. The future princess said later that the two barely exchanged words, and upon saying goodbye, didn't see each other again for two months. After the second meeting, however, sparks flew. While Claire was impressed with Laurent's generosity and sensitivity, the prince says he knew he'd found "the one for him" because of her honesty, sponteneity and love for children. After a two-and-a-half year courtship, the pair got engaged in December 2002.
The ceremony: The happy event is set to take place on Saturday, April 12. A procession will set off from the royal palace in the morning, winding its way through the city streets to the ten o'clock civil ceremony at Brussels Town Hall. From there, it will resume, proceeding to the religious ceremony at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula. Following the nuptials, royal guests are invited to a celebratory banquet at the royal palace at 1.30.
The guests: Among those who have confirmed they will be joining the Belgian royal family at the celebrations are: the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her sister Princess Madeleine; the Infanta Doña Cristina of Spain and her husband the Duke of Palma; the Archduke and Archduchess Charles-Christian of Austria; from the Netherlands, Prince and Princess Constantijn of Orange-Nassau and Princess Margriet; and Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Lietchenstein.
THE GOWN, THE FLOWERS, THE GIFTS…>>>
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
