Princess Mathilde, the wife of Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium, has given birth to the couple’s first child – a baby daughter. The new arrival, Elisabeth Therese Marie Helene, could become the first queen to ascend to the Belgian throne in modern history.
A recent law granted equal inheritance rights to male and female royals, meaning Elisabeth becomes second in line after her father to succeed the current monarch Albert II. She is the first female to benefit from the legislation change.
The new arrival, who was born late on Thursday, was delivered by Caesarean section as she was lying in a breech position with the umbilical cord entangled around her neck. Both mother and child are doing fine, and Prince Philippe says he is “very proud” of his new daughter.
Twenty-eight-year-old Mathilde married the Crown Prince in a glittering ceremony in December 1999.
Although the role of the monarch is largely ceremonial under Belgium’s constitution, the royal family is a potent symbol of unity in a country divided linguistically between Dutch and French speakers.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
