Princess Maria Laura, William Isvy & Family, News & Events Part 1 (August 2007 - )


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At the time, the writer of Royalement Blog wrote on social media that Count Alexis was not Princess Maria Laura's boyfriend and was attending the wedding as the partner of another guest.
 
A friend of mine went shopping with her daughers anf Maria Laura.
Nobody in the shops knew he was a Princess.
This is for all Princess Astrid Children
 
A friend of mine went shopping with her daughers anf Maria Laura.
Nobody in the shops knew he was a Princess.
This is for all Princess Astrid Children


Which raises the question why they should be Princes of Belgium at all. Why not limit the title only to the children of the monarch and of the Duke (or Duchess) of Brabant ?
 
Which raises the question why they should be Princes of Belgium at all. Why not limit the title only to the children of the monarch and of the Duke (or Duchess) of Brabant ?

The European royal trend of distinguishing the titles of the direct and cadet lines hadn't established itself at the time they became heirs to the throne (only Spain had truly done so), and it would be unfair to them and to Prince Laurent's children to demote them at this late stage.
 
I think it makes sense at least kings' grandchildren to have the title of Prince. And that's how it happens in most European royal families.
 
They will be the very last Princes and Princesses of Belgium. It was King Baudouin and King Albert II (who asked dotations for Astrid and Laurent which should have been refused by the then Prime Minister) Will.
 
And Laura ended up in the banking world just like her father and older brother - I didn't expect that based on her studies. Although it is a very specific type of bank that seems to have a social purpose.

Her career first in political science and later in banking also surprised me a bit, considering her traditional family. Both the Belgian royals and, from the little I know of them, the Habsburgs generally seem to follow the old ways, with the men having lucrative careers in finance or business while the women work in fields such as the arts or communications or resigning their careers to focus on motherhood and charity work after marriage, and that was the path followed by Laura's parents, especially during their time in Switzerland. Yet Laura and Luisa both studied political science and followed in their father's footsteps as investment bankers (though it remains to be seen what they will do if and when they marry).
 
And Laura ended up in the banking world just like her father and older brother - I didn't expect that based on her studies. Although it is a very specific type of bank that seems to have a social purpose.

And it could be compared to her current position (which, per the biographical information given by the Palace with the announcement of her engagement, she took up in 2020) as a climate researcher for the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.

https://ciff.org/team/laura-de-belgique/
https://www.theroyalforums.com/foru...m-isvy-27-dec-2021-a-49168-2.html#post2445007
 
A wile ago we were discussing about the education of princess Maria Laura. This week a Belgian magazine has explained her school history:

* She did her elementary and secondary(high) school in the Dutch speaking school "Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege" in Brussels (also the former school of Amedeo, Joachim and the school of Louise Maria, Leatitia Maria, Elisabeth and Gabriël): Flemish, strikt and extremely solid education
Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege Brussel - Startpagina

* The last 2 years of her secondary (high) school she went to the " Saint Johns International school" in Waterloo: not only very expensive but also a school of high level. the students who graduate from that school can go without any problemns to Harvard and Oxford. Maria Laura said herself that she sometimes had problems with the subject matter.
St. John's International School - Brussels, Belgium

[...]

According to Joëlle Vanden Houden, longtime producer of the program "Royauté" on VTM, Princess Maria Laura was severely mistreated in her youth and at school. She was reviled for her appearance and called names for her royal origins. Because of her prominent chin and large eyes, she was given the nickname "E.T.", a reference to the extraterrestrial from the film, and boys organized a "who kissed the first E.T." contest.

It seems this took place at Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege, since Ms. Vanden Houden says that when the princess started at St. John's International School at age 16, it was the beginning of her "success story".

https://www.7sur7.be/monarchies/d-u...e-maria-laura-et-son-fiance-william~af1bfea6/



So all the children of Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid are styled as HIRH, of which the title "HIH" is actually from the paternal side instead of the maternal. :)

No, Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid and all their children are styled as HRH.
For instance, observe how they are named in the court calendar for Princess Maria Laura's engagement:

https://www.monarchie.be/fr/agenda/fiancailles
https://www.monarchie.be/nl/agenda/verloving

Leurs Altesses Royales la Princesse Astrid et le Prince Lorenz ont la grande joie d’annoncer les fiançailles de Son Altesse Royale la Princesse Maria Laura avec Monsieur William Isvy. Le mariage aura lieu au second semestre 2022.

Hunne Koninklijke Hoogheden Prinses Astrid en Prins Lorenz hebben het grote genoegen om de verloving aan te kondigen van Hare Koninklijke Hoogheid Prinses Maria Laura met de Heer William Isvy. De bruiloft zal in de tweede helft van 2022 plaatsvinden.

(Translation: Their Royal Highnesses Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have the great pleasure of announcing the engagement of Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Laura to Mr. William Isvy. The wedding will take place in the second half of 2022.)



Yes, I believe they will change this. If Laurent, Astrid or Philippe's children have one day so many children like their parents, soon Belgium will become the country of Europe with more Princes and Princesses. And maybe the Belgians wouldn't be very glad to pay taxes to support all these children's expenses (I guess). :ermm:

With or without the royal family, Belgium is a country with copious amounts of princes and princesses, because Belgium's non-royal nobility includes a number of families whose members are Princes and Princesses. All of the legitimate male-line members of the Ligne family, for example, are HH Prince or Princess.

No doubt that is why the King only decided to limit the number of HRH Princes(ses) "of Belgium", and not the number of Princesses and Princes per se, among Astrid and Laurent's descendants.
 
Yes indeed , I wonder if other Napoléon Baptism took place at the Abbey of Farmborough where Napléon III his great great grandfather , his wife Eugénie and his son are burried. .
 
Princess Maria Laura is one of the five godparents to little Prince Louis Napoléon.

She has been very close friends for a long time with Louis's mother Princess Napoléon (Olympia von Arco), who is also her first cousin.
 
In this episode of the At Large podcast, produced by China-US Focus, Princess Maria Laura of Belgium takes part in a discussion in her capacity as Special Advisor for Global Goals, addressing key contemporary issues related to climate change, global health, and international cooperation.


During the conversation, she shares her perspective on global climate strategies, the outcomes of recent international conferences — notably COP28 — and the importance of an integrated approach linking environmental policy, public health, and sustainable development.


The exchange highlights her professional engagement in international affairs, illustrating a career path focused on expertise, multilateral dialogue, and concrete action beyond purely ceremonial duties.

 
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