Belgian Royal Family Mourns Princess Claire’s Father
The Belgian royal family is in mourning following the revelation that Nicholas Coombs, the father of Princess Claire, passed away three months ago at the age of 88. The news was kept private by the family, who said it was “too painful to share” at the time, according to VRT NWS.
A Delayed Announcement
Prince Aymeric of Belgium, the 20-year-old youngest son of Prince Laurent and Princess Claire, announced his grandfather’s death through an emotional Instagram post on August 28, 2026. In the post, he shared photographs of his grandfather and wrote: “Three months ago, it was too painful to share. Now it still feels unreal. But today I wanted to pay tribute to my grandfather and share some of the precious memories we made together.”
“He meant everything to me and he always will,” the young prince added, as RTL Belgium reported. Princess Louise, Aymeric’s older sister, responded to the post with heart emojis, while the second photo showed Aymeric, his twin brother Nicolas, and Louise as children reading with their grandfather.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
A Life Between Two Countries
Nicholas Coombs was born on April 14, 1938, in Wimbledon, England. He built a successful career as a British businessman, moving to Canada at age 18 to work for Bell Telephone before founding his own company specializing in rubber and elastic products.
In 1971, he married Nicole Mertens, a Belgian woman from Ixelles, Brussels. The couple had three children—Joanna (1972), Claire (1974), and Matthew (1976)—and initially lived in England before relocating to Belgium in 1977, settling in Chaumont-Gistoux in Walloon Brabant, as Point de Vue detailed.
Coombs founded the family business NICO, which specializes in rubber and elastic products. The company, based in Thorembais-les-Béguines, Perwez, boasts over 75 years of experience, nearly 7,000 listed articles, and sells products in more than 25 countries, according to the NICO company website. Princess Claire joined the family company as a non-statutory administrator in December 2023, alongside her brother Matthew and sister Joanna.
A Quiet Figure in the Royal Spotlight
The Belgian public first became acquainted with Coombs when his daughter Claire married Prince Laurent on April 12, 2003, at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. Coombs walked his daughter down the aisle, a moment captured by photographers and broadcast across the country.
Despite his connection to the royal family, Coombs was known as a deeply private person who never sought the spotlight. He appeared in public primarily at significant family events, preferring to stay out of the public eye throughout his life.
Princess Claire, born Claire Louise Coombs on January 18, 1974, in Bath, England, moved to Belgium at age three. She worked as a surveyor before her marriage to Prince Laurent, the youngest son of King Albert II and Queen Paola. By Royal Decree, she was elevated to Princess of Belgium in her own right, as Unofficial Royalty notes.
A Family in Mourning
The delayed announcement reflects the family’s desire to grieve privately, a decision that Histoires Royales noted was consistent with Princess Claire’s characteristic discretion. The royal family has faced a period of significant events in recent weeks, including the passing of King Harald V of Norway and Prince Gabriel’s graduation from the Royal Military Academy.
As the Belgian royal family continues to mourn the loss of Nicholas Coombs, tributes from across the country have poured in, honoring a man who, though private, played a significant role in the lives of those connected to Belgium’s royal household. His legacy lives on through his family and the business he built from the ground up.