Princess Claire of Belgium

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**Princess Claire of Belgium**
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Born	January 18 1974 (age 35)
Title	Princess of Belgium
Spouse	Prince Laurent of Belgium
Children	Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, Prince Aymeric
Parents	Nicholas Coombs and Nicole Mertens

Princess Claire of Belgium, (born Claire Louise Coombs, in Bath, England, on January 18, 1974) is the wife of Prince Laurent of Belgium and is a property surveyor.

She is a daughter of Nicholas Coombs, a British-born businessman, and his Belgian wife, née Nicole Mertens. She has lived in Belgium since age 3.

On April 12, 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. She was created a Princess of Belgium in her own right shortly before the ceremony, on April 1, 2003 and upon her marriage, she became Her Royal Highness Princess Claire.

The royal couple has a daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Belgium, who was born February 6, 2004. On June 28 2005, they announced that Princess Claire was pregnant with twins. She was expected to give birth in January 2006 but due to complications she gave birth to twin boys on December 13, 2005. Their names are Their Royal Highnesses Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric of Belgium.