Baby Girl For Princess Astrid

[samitude]

Princess Astrid and her husband Prince Lorenz are the proud parents of a little girl, Laetitia Marie, their 5th child.
She was born this afternoon 23/04/2003 and her weight is 3.800kg and she is 52cm long.
Her godmother will be Princess Nora of Liechtenstein and her godfather will be her brother Joachim.

 

[Jacqueline]

Princess Astrid of Belgium, A Mum for the Fifth Time

24 APRIL 2003
Just ten days after the Belgian royals gained a princess when Prince Laurent wed longtime love Claire Coombs, King Albert II has welcomed yet another addition to his growing family.

The monarch's 40-year-old daughter, Princess Astrid, gave birth to her fifth child on Wednesday, the royal palace has announced. The blue-eyed baby girl, named Princess Laetitia Maria, was born at Clinique Générale Saint-Jean in Brussels. Both mum and daughter are doing fine, said a spokesperson.

Newborn Princess Laetitia is eighth in line to the throne. Princess Astrid, already mother to teenagers Prince Amedeo and Princess Maria, as well as 11-year-old Prince Joachim and seven-year-old Princess Louisa, married Archduke Lorenz of Austria in 1984.

Prior to baby Laetitia's arrival, the most recent newcomer in the Belgian royal family was Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde's little girl, Princess Elisabeth, who was born in 2001.

Article From: Hello Magazine

 

[samitude]

Here are the first photos of Laetitia from DH Net.

Laetitia

The Family

Joachim and Laetitia

Astrid, Lorenz, and Laetitia

 

[Alexandria]

I love the picture of the whole family together posing with the new baby. They're all dressed in white and clustered around each other. What a great new family portrait!

Thanks for sharing it Samitude! :flower:

 

[Alexandria]

This is the picture I was talking about. From Corbis.

From Corbis. Princess Astrid's older kids with their new baby sister.

More from Corbis. Little Laeticia with her brother and her godfather, Joachim.

 

[Josefine]

Polfoto

 

[Mandy]

Princess Astrid taking Little Laeticia home.

Picture from ohla.com

 

[Alexandria]

More pictures from www.rexfeatures.com of Astrid and family taking baby Laeticia Maria home.

More pictures from www.rexfeatures.com of Astrid and family taking baby Laeticia Maria home.

Little Laeticia Maria.

More pictures from www.rexfeatures.com of Astrid and family taking baby Laeticia Maria home.

Mommy and baby.

Pictures from www.rexfeatures.com of daddy Lorentz and big sisters Maria Laura and Luisa Maria (did I get their names right?) and brother Joachim registering baby Laeticia.

Pictures from www.rexfeatures.com of baby Laeticia being registered. Here are her big sisters and brother.

From www.rexfeatures.com, maybe someone can help me out with which sister this is. Those L-M/M-L monikers confuse me!

From www.rexfeatures.com, the other L-M/M-L sister.

From www.rexfeatures.com, Laeticia-Maria's brother Joachim, who is also her godfather.

 

[lynn]

Maria Laura is the elder daughter while Luisa Maria is the younger one B)

 

[mybags]

Her full name:

Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Laetitia Maria Nora Anna Joachim Zita of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

 

[Alexandria]

I was just curious to know if Fabiola, Phillippe and Mathilde, Laurent and Claire had been to visit Astrid's new baby yet? I saw a photot of the King and Queen visiting Astrid and Laeticia-Maria in the hospital but none of her aunts and uncles, yet.

It's interesting to see the juxtaposition of the new Beligum arrival with the Norwegian one. King Harald and Queen Sonja visited Martha Louise, Ari and baby Maud twice during Martha Louise's short stay in the hospital, whereas King Albert and Queen Paola only visited Astrid and Laeticia-Maria once. (Or maybe it was only covered once by the press.) Haakon, his wife and her son even came back from London to visit his sister and his niece, whereas there was no mention of Phillippe and Mathilde, Laurent and Claire visiting the new baby.

Was it because it was Astrid's fifth baby and Martha Louise's first that made the difference? Or was it the press coverage?

 

[Jalmey]

It could also be their positions to the throne. Martha Louise is second-in-line and her child is now third. Princess Astrid is fourth, right? (Phillippe, his daughter, and Laurent) and her daughter would be ninth.

I guess it just because Martha Louise has a chance to take over the crown, whereas Princess Astrid doesn't (??)

But that is just my guess.

 

[samitude]

I suppose it's just a difference in tradition in countries. Maybe Astrid requested that only her parents visit her in the hosptial and everyone else could visit her at home. My sister didn't want people at the hospital when she had her baby. My mom saw her in the hospital, but the rest of us went down after the baby was born and visited them at home.

 

[Alexandra]

Yes, they were very beautiful pictures of the newborn baby and the whole family. thanks for them!

 

[thissal]

That's an interesting question Alexandria. Family dynamics of royalty can be so intriguing. I was looking at pictures of Queen Paola last night, and she looks like a wonderful person. She also looks rather apologetic which is highly unusual to see in royalty. I bet there's a story and a half behind that, to say the least.

Anyway, it's glimpses into the real family like that I think which engenders loyalty to the crown -- and to the royal family.

It seems to me that is especially important after the debacle of Leopold II of Belgium and the forced abdication of the current king's father.

 

[Tina]

www.ibl.se

 

[Martine]

Originally posted by Jalmey@May 6th, 2003 - 2:16 pm
It could also be their positions to the throne. Martha Louise is second-in-line and her child is now third. Princess Astrid is fourth, right? (Phillippe, his daughter, and Laurent) and her daughter would be ninth.

I guess it just because Martha Louise has a chance to take over the crown, whereas Princess Astrid doesn't (??)

But that is just my guess.

well actually Princess Astrid is third in line behind Filip and Elisabeth. Astrid and her 5 children come before Laurent (the law was changed because before 1991 , women couldn't be Queen , the story goes that King Boudewijn didn't like Laurent).

I wouldn't be so sure that Astrid won't become Queen, a lot of people (politicians) would like to see Astrid on the throne until Princess elisabeth is 18.

Filip and elisabeth also went to visit Astrid in hospital.

 

[Josefine]

any baptism yet

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

she was batized more than a year ago!