Prince Laurent And Princess Claire, Current Events, Part 2

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks for photos pdas1201.

[Hannelore]

Laurent visiting a home for the elderly in Etterbeek (Brussels)

[Hannelore]

Le prince Laurent au régime (12/03/2005)
http://www.dhnet.be/pictures_news/art_31967.jpg

© BAUWERAERTSDéjà un mois qu'il n'a plus fréquenté son resto italien préféré
BRUXELLES L'initiative émanerait de la princesse Claire: avant l'arrivée des beaux jours et des prochaines vacances, avant de passer un maillot de bain, son prince d'époux se devait de retrouver la ligne!
Elle l'aurait donc mis au régime, affirme la presse flamande, qui profite de l'occasion pour ressortir des photos de Laurent lors de ses vacances d'été passées alors qu'il affiche, il est vrai, quelques kilos de trop. Selon nos confrères du Nord, l'enfant terrible de la famille royale aurait 10 à 15 kilos à perdre. Il avait déjà bien fondu avant son mariage, voici deux ans, mais le problème récurrent chez lui, c'est son amour de la bonne cuisine italienne qui le porte irrésistiblement et quotidiennement (!) vers les pâtes et lui fait reprendre aussi sec le poids perdu!

Donc, Claire, qui a, elle, la chance de n'avoir aucun problème de surpoids, aurait emmené son mari chez un spécialiste en amaigrissement. Une visite qui aurait révélé que l'embonpoint du prince n'était par ailleurs pas étranger à son essoufflement à l'effort et une pression sanguine élevée. Bref, un programme diététique a été décidé et désormais, en lieu et place de ses pâtes chéries, Laurent grignote une pomme le midi et des viandes et poissons grillés avec légumes vapeur le soir. Pour accompagner le tout: de l'eau plate. Voilà qui ne doit pas nécessairement réjouir le prince, mais que ne ferait pas un homme pour être désirable aux yeux de son épouse?À Schaerbeek, en tout cas, on est plutôt triste. À deux pas du siège de sa Fondation pour les animaux, le prince, qui a l'habitude de déjeuner dans un excellent resto italien, Le Stelle (où il a célébré son repas de fiançailles), ne s'y est plus montré depuis un mois déjà. Or, il s'y rendait au minimum une fois par semaine et commandait invariablement la même chose: des zite al ragu, sorte de macaroni avec une sauce tomate à la viande. Jamais de vin, en dépit d'une très belle carte, qui propose même la Tota du Piémont, une variété mise en bouteille par une cousine de la Reine Paola! Le prince, lui, ne buvait jamais que son arancina, une orangeade. Courage Monseigneur!

[Hannelore]

Prince Laurent on a diet

It's been a month since he dined at his favorite Italian restaurant.

It seems the initiative came from princess Claire: before the coming of hot days and the next holidays, before putting on the swimsuits, the prince should loose some weight!

The Flemish press confirms she put him on a diet. According to our Northern collegues, the rebel of the royal family should lose 10 to 15 kilos. He already lost quite a bit of weight before his mariage, two years ago, but his problem is his love for the good Italian cuisine that makes him turn daily (!) to pasta and this way the weight that was lost is immediately put on again.

So Claire, who has the luck not to have the slightest weightproblems, has taken her husband to see a slimming specialist. The visit revealed that his tummy has to do with him not being too keen on physical efforts and having a high bloodpressure. A dieting program has been made up for him and now Laurent will have to nibble an appel at noon, grilled fish or meat and steamed vegetables in the evening, instead of his beloved pasta. An to go with this: still water. The prince won't be overjoyed by all this, but what man will go through to please his wife... But in Schaarbeek some people are sad. A few steps away from his animal foundation, is the Italian restaurant Le Stelle where he usually takes lunch (he also gave his engagement dinner there), it's been more than a month since his last visit. He used to go there at least once a week and always ordered the same: zite al ragu, a kind of macaroni with meat and tomato sauce. Never any wine, in spite of an excellent wine card, that even proposes Tota of Piemont, a variety botteled by a cousin of queen Paola! The prince only drank his arancina, a kind of lemonade. Good luck monseigneur!

[Hannelore]

A worker drills a hole near the outfit worn by Princess Claire for Belgium national day 21 July 2004, which is on display for the " Made in Belgium " exhibition marking the 175th anniversary of Belgium 04 March 2005, in Brussels. The exhibition which will run from 07 March to 31 December 2005 provides an introduction to Belgium with 12 themes: liberty, music, plastic arts, literature, leisure and folklore, decorative arts, sport, showbiz, cartoons, sciences and technology, distant horizons, tastes and the "Belgian Institutional Model".

[Alisa]

Thanks for translating the article Hannelore. I wish the Prince success on his diet. Heaven knows it's hard for me to give up Italian food..:p

And Clare's outfit, at least it's on display for people to see the horrors of it. Chances are she'll never wear it again.

[Danielle]

Thank you Hannelore for the translation. I'm glad Claire is helping Laurent see that he needs to look after himself.

I was going to say something about drilling the outfit instead of the wall, but that is just mean. :) Are there any other outfits worn by the Royal Family that will be displayed as well, or just Claire's 'cowgirl' one?

[elektraking]

OK . Maybe it is something wrong with me but in these pictures Clair looks so bored. Prince Laurent tries to please her! can their marriage bein troubles?

[Danielle]

Originally Posted by elektraking

OK . Maybe it is something wrong with me but in these pictures Clair looks so bored. Prince Laurent tries to please her! can their marriage bein troubles?

I don't think you can really base that assumption on looking at some photos. Which one's are you referring to? The ones from the National Day (where Claire is wearing the cowboy outfit)? Maybe they look 'bored' because it was a long day and they could have been tired. While I don't think they are the most openly romantic royal couple, I think that their marriage is fine. Well, I sincerely hope it is.

[Hannelore]

Originally Posted by Danielle

I was going to say something about drilling the outfit instead of the wall, but that is just mean. :) Are there any other outfits worn by the Royal Family that will be displayed as well, or just Claire's 'cowgirl' one?

Lol. Good remark :):)

I don't know if any other royal clothes are on display, I haven't seen the exhibition yet...

[Hannelore]

So these images should belong to the past...

[Danielle]

Originally Posted by Hannelore

So these images should belong to the past...

Ha ha ha.:) I found one more which has been posted a while ago, but it's kind of the same as the one above. It seems as if Laurent's expanding waistline may be due to the food Claire feeds him.

[moosey60]

Aw...poor Laurent. He looks better as a chubby man, though.

He'll probably start bribing people to feed him. Haha I can picture it now...

"Okay, Louise. You bring me a chocolate eclair and Daddy will buy you that dolly you wanted."

[Amilia]

Prince Laurent and Princess Claire went to a memorial service for the pope at 10 o'clock this morning . ( Brussels)

Amiliaxxx

[Hannelore]

Pope John Paul II was a giant," says Danneels

Sun 03/04/05 - Cardinal Godfried Danneels led a memorial mass for John Paul II Sunday morning, praising him as a "giant" who led the church through difficult times.

< Hundreds of faithful had gathered at the gothic Sint-Michiels and Sint-Goedele Cathedral. The church was packed with people from all ages, from toddlers to pensioners.



(foto Belga)The service had already been planned ahead of the Pope's death. However, what was supposed to be a mass expressing support for the suffering Pope, turned out to be a remembrance service.

Danneels led the service. "The pope is gone and the whole world holds its breath," he said. "The church has lost a great shepherd."

He stressed John Paul's support for better relations between Muslims and Jews as one of the highlights of his papacy. "He was a giant," Danneels said.

In a side section, people lined up to sign a condolence book.



Laurent and Claire attented the serviceBelgian prince Laurent and princess Claire represented the Belgian court at the service.

Also the Minister of Internal Affairs, Patrick Dewael was there, together with his colleague of Finance, Didier Reynders.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt missed the service. He is in France, recovering after minor heart surgery.

Verhofstadt had expressed his condolences earlier: "Nobody will deny that John Paul II has played a big role in history."

[Hannelore]

More of Claire & Laurent at the mass

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks for pics,Hannelore.