A Daughter for Laurent and Claire

[Alexandria]

From the Benelux Royals Message board, posted by Johan R at 17:12:34, Princess Claire was taken to Saint Lucke Hospital in Brussels on February 6.

Stay tuned for more Belgian baby news!

[Dennism]

Good luck, Claire!

[The Watcher]

It will be a girl and the name is Louise, am I right or was it a joke of Prince Laurent

[Alexandria]

Laurent mentioned that during the summer that it was to be a girl and that she would be named Louise, but I have read that it might've been sincere but that it could also have been an off-remark by Laurent to throw the public off -- especially is Claire delivers a boy and his name is Baudoin or something!

[mybags]

According to Netty's Royalty Page, Claire is scheduled to give birth sometime this evening. Prince Laurent has been contacted by the press and said that the baby will most likely be a girl and they will name her Louise Mary.

[Alexandra]

I hope it is a Girl! Poor Claire, she hasn't it easy right now.

[Dennism]

Louise Mary? Such an English name. Interesting. I hope Claire will have no problems.

[Bubbette]

What is with the name Louise recently?

[samitude]

Well, Claire's middle name is Louise so I can see where Louise would be a good choice for them. They're catholic so I suppose that's where the Mary comes in. I believe all of Astrid's and Philippe's children have Marie or Maria (which are forms of Mary) in their middle names. I'm suprised though that this baby will only have two names (if this is true) because most royals have at least three; although the Norwegian royals seem to only like two names.

[Dennism]

Louise Marie would have been my choice. English/French. Louise Mary is rather English.

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Don't forget that Claire is half British, that's probably why they chose 'Mary' in stead of Marie.

btw princess Astrid's middle daughter is also called Luisa Maria, the Italian version of Louise Marie (Paola's mother was called Luisa).

[Dennism]

I know she is. But that's why I was thinking of the English/French pairing. Combine the two. Then again the name "Claire" does that well anyway.

[Alexandria]

From the Benelux Royals Message board:

A girl for Laurent and Claire: Louise Sophie Mary of Belgium born at 21.30 hour, weighing 3kg 420 and 54 cm long.

[Juliane]

With all the baby girls born into royal houses recently, I wonder if there's something in the water!
Congradulations to the parents!

Juliane

[wymanda]

Originally posted by Alexandria@Feb 6th, 2004 - 6:12 pm
From the Benelux Royals Message board:

A girl for Laurent and Claire: Louise Sophie Mary of Belgium born at 21.30 hour, weighing 3kg 420 and 54 cm long.

Excuse my ignorance but whats that in pounds??????

[Alexandria]

It was pointed out at the Benelux Royals message board that Louise was actually born at 21:34.

[Juliane]

It equates to 7.56 pounds and 21.26 inches.

Juliane

[Alexandra]

Congratulations for the brand new parents!
Nice, it was a girl!

[Alexandra]

Found this:
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/Binnenland/defaul...6-C21181D79DF1}

07/02 Koninklijk paleis meldt geboorte van prinses Louise
Prins Laurent en prinses Claire hebben verheugd de geboorte gemeld van hun dochter Louise, die op 6 februari 2004 rond 21h34 in het UZ St-Lucas te Woluwe Saint-Lambert het levenslicht zag. Ze kreeg de voornamen Louise, Sophie en Mary mee.
Prinses Claire en haar dochter stellen het goed. Het kind woog bij de geboorte 3,420 gram en is 54 cm groot, zo kondigde een woordvoerder van het koninklijk palais vrijdag aan.
Namens de regering en de ganse Belgische bevolking, feliciteerde Eerste Minister Guy Verhofstadt, de ouders Laurent en Claire, met de geboorte vrijdagavond van Louise. Premier Verhofstadt feliciteerde ook de trotse grootouders met de geboorte van het Prinsesje. Hij wenst Louise een leven vol warmte, vreugde, verrassingen en verwondering toe.

Voor de derde keer in minder dan een jaar is er opnieuw een mogelijke troonopvolger geboren. De rangorde voor de troonsopvolging wordt evenwel niet omgegooid aangezien het dochtertje van prins Laurent en prinses Claire de laatste, en dus de elfde, plaats in de rij inneemt.
Ze is meteen het achtste kleinkind van het vorstenpaar. Na de geboorte van Elisabeth in 2001, Laetitia Maria in april 2003, en Gabriel in augustus 2003, is het nu dus de beurt aan Louise Sophie Mary om zich een plaatsje te veroveren binnen de stamboom van de koninklijke Belgische familie.
Haar kansen om ooit op de troon te komen zijn echter gering, aangezien zij prins Filip en zijn twee kinderen, prinses Astrid en haar vijf kinderen en ook haar vader prins Laurent moet laten vooraf gaan.
De voornaam Louise komt reeds voor in de koninklijke familie. Zo was er prinses Louise (1858-1924), de dochter van Leopold II, maar ook prinses van Orléans Louise-Marie (1812-1850), echtgenote van de eerste koning der Belgen, Leopold I

[Dennism]

Congratulations to them. More Girl Power!