BRUSSELS — British-born Princess Claire nearly had a miscarriage on Independence Day, Belgian royal sources have claimed.

The Belgian royal family officially denied the incident on Monday after friends of both Claire and Prince Laurent had reportedly confirmed the rumours.

Prince Laurent was to represent the royal family with Princess Claire at the Aarlen religious service on 21 July to mark Belgium’s 175th anniversary of independence.
 
However, the prince arrived alone and quickly left after the ceremony was completed, newspaper ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’ reported.

Television footage revealed that Laurent’s place in the royal stand during the military parade in Brussels later that day was vacant.

It now appears that Laurent drove directly home — ignoring official protocols — to be beside his wife, who was in danger of having a miscarriage.

The royal family announced at the end of June that Claire and Prince Laurent were expecting twins in January. The royal couple already have a daughter, Louise, born on 6 February 2004.
 
And according to sources close to the royals, the second pregnancy is not proceeding easily, Belgian media reported.

“On the national holiday, Claire had severe stomach pain. The gynaecologist was able to avert a miscarriage, but the princess has had to take a lot of rest since then,” a close female friend said.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news