Princess Maria-Laura of Belgium to marry William Isvy in Brussels on 10 September

The wedding of Princess Maria-Laura of Belgium to William Isvy will take place on Saturday 10 September in Brussels, it has been announced.

Princess Maria-Laura, 33, is the niece of King Philippe and an international relations graduate. Her fiancé, an investment banker, was born in Paris to a British mother and a French-Moroccan father. The couple live in London.    

Their civil marriage will be a private ceremony in the marriage room of Brussels city hall, said the couple's spokesperson Hervé Verhooselle and Brussels mayor Philippe Close.

It will be followed by a religious ceremony at 14.30 in the cathedral of Saint Michael and Gudula, reports Belga. More than 500 guests are invited, including the Belgian royal family.

"Despite the fact that they live in London, it was important for them to get married here in Belgium," said Verhooselle. "It's a good opportunity for Laura to show Brussels and our beautiful country to her in-laws, but also because Laura's parents (Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz) were married here at the city hall on 22 September 1984".

The mayor said that "all Belgians recall the wedding of Philippe and Mathilde at the city hall. When a member of the royal family gets married here, it’s always moving. It will be a moment of joy and it's a beautiful image for Brussels."

Guests at the civil wedding will be welcomed by 24 police cadets in the central courtyard of the city hall. The civil witnesses will be the bride’s sisters, Princesses Luisa and Lætitia, and the brother and sister of William Isvy.

The religious service will be a Catholic ceremony conducted by Cardinal Jozef De Kesel. It will include Christian and Jewish songs and hymns. A private reception is to given by the bride and groom’s parents after the wedding.

Princess Maria-Laura’s ring, a sapphire surrounded by diamonds, was designed in Jaipur by Gem Palace, the oldest fine jewellery firm in India.

Photo: Princess Maria-Laura (right) accompanying her mother Princess Astrid to an economic mission in China in 2019 © Belga/Dirk Waem