Princess Claire’s Father Dies at 88, Revealed 3 Months Later
Nicholas Coombs, the father of Princess Claire of Belgium, has died at the age of 88. The news was announced by his grandson, Prince Aymeric, in an emotional Instagram tribute three months after the death occurred, according to VRT NWS.
A Private Family Loss
The Belgian royal family kept the death private for approximately three months before Prince Aymeric, 20, shared the news on his Instagram account on August 28. In his post, accompanied by a series of family photographs, Aymeric wrote: “Three months ago it was too painful to share. Now it still feels unreal, but today I wanted to pay tribute to my grandad and share some of the precious memories we created together.”
“He meant everything to me and he always will,” the young prince added, in words that resonated deeply with followers. His sister, Princess Louise, reacted to the post with heart emojis, as HLN reported.
The cause of death has not been disclosed, and the exact date of Coombs’ passing has not been made public. The family’s decision to keep the news private aligns with Coombs’ lifelong preference for discretion—he reportedly never enjoyed being in the spotlight.
A Life Across Two Continents
Nicholas Coombs was born on April 14, 1938, in Wimbledon, England. After studying at St George’s College in south London, he left Britain at age 18 to work for Bell Telephone in Canada, as RTL.be detailed. He later founded his own company producing rubber and elastic products, a business that would become known as “Nico.”
In 1971, Coombs married Nicole Mertens, a Belgian from Ixelles, in Uccle. The couple initially lived in England, where they had three children: Joanna (born 1972), Claire (born 1974), and Matthew (born 1976). In 1977, the family moved to Belgium, settling in Chaumont-Gistoux in Walloon Brabant.
The “Nico” company, founded in the 1980s by Coombs and his wife, specialized in rubber and elastic products. By 2015, the firm’s net assets were valued at nearly €2 million, according to Slideshare. In 2023, Princess Claire became a non-statutory advisor at the family business, alongside her siblings Joanna and Matthew.
A Life in the Public Eye—Reluctantly
The Belgian public first became familiar with Coombs when his daughter Claire married Prince Laurent on April 12, 2003, at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. Despite the royal wedding thrusting the Coombs family into the national spotlight, Nicholas maintained a remarkably low profile throughout his life.
Princess Claire, who was born in Bath, England, and moved to Belgium at age three, has similarly maintained a measured relationship with public exposure throughout her marriage to Prince Laurent, the youngest son of King Albert II and Queen Paola. The couple has three children: Louise (born 2004) and twins Nicolas and Aymeric (born 2005).
Claire worked as a land surveyor until 2003 and has been noted for speaking French and English more fluently than Dutch, a point of occasional criticism in the Flemish press.
A Period of Transition for the Belgian Royal Family
The news of Coombs’ death comes during a period of significant developments within the Belgian royal family. Just days before the announcement, Clément Vandenkerckhove, Prince Laurent’s son from a relationship with singer Wendy Van Wanten, was officially recognized as a prince of Belgium, as Vanitatis El Confidencial reported. The recognition, formalized in February 2026, grants Vandenkerckhove the title of prince without succession rights.
A Lasting Legacy
Nicholas Coombs leaves behind a family that spans two countries and a business that has been part of the Belgian economic fabric for decades. His decision to stay out of the limelight, even as his daughter married into one of Europe’s oldest monarchies, speaks to a man who valued family and privacy above public recognition.
Prince Aymeric’s tribute, shared with his followers on Instagram, offers a glimpse into the personal loss behind the royal headlines. “He meant everything to me and he always will,” the young prince wrote—a sentiment that captures the quiet but profound impact of a grandfather who, despite his aversion to publicity, was deeply cherished by his family.
As the Belgian royal family continues to navigate a period of change, the memory of Nicholas Coombs—the British businessman who built a life across two continents and raised a daughter who would become a princess—will endure through the family he leaves behind.