Our final sparkling royal wedding flashback of the week takes us back to 2003, when Princess Claire of Belgium made a gorgeous splash in a beautiful lace and satin wedding gown.
On April 12, 2003, Claire Coombs married Prince Laurent, the second son of King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, in a pair of ceremonies in Brussels. Just like Laurent’s brother and sister-in-law a few years earlier, Laurent and Claire were married in a civil ceremony at the Brussels Town Hall and then in a religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
For both ceremonies, Claire wore a gorgeous gown made by Édouard Vermeulen, the Belgian couturier who runs the label Natan. The satin gown featured a lace overlay on its bodice, including a striking, romantic off-the-shoulder neckline. The beautiful dress caught the eyes of royal watchers around the world—and also the eyes of Hollywood costume designers, as it was the inspiration for a wedding dress featured in The Princess Diaries 2 the following year.
The lace on Claire’s wedding gown echoed the pattern of her heirloom lace veil. The veil was a loan from her new mother-in-law, Queen Paola, who inherited it from her mother, Luisa. Paola wore the veil for her wedding, and she also loaned it to Queen Mathilde for her wedding day.
The design of the lace was also reflected in the design of Claire’s delicate diamond wedding tiara. The petite diamond sparkler was Claire’s wedding gift from her new parents-in-law, King Albert and Queen Paola.
Claire also wore a distinctly modern pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings. The earrings feature pavé-set diamond hoops from which pear-shaped pearl drops are suspended.
She also wore a slender diamond bracelet on her right wrist.
Here’s one more look at Claire’s earrings and bracelet. You’ll note that the pearls gleam beautifully in this lighting, and the bracelet’s detail—larger brilliants interspersed along the tennis-style bracelet—shows up nicely here as well.
Please note: We are monitoring the ongoing situation regarding the health of HM The Queen, and we will share more here at The Court Jeweller if and when it becomes appropriate. In the meantime, you can follow The Court Jeweller on Twitter for updates as they become available.
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