Belgium Crown Prince Philippe, 39, and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, a 26-year-old speech therapist, smile to the crowd of 2,000 wellwishers 04 December 1999 after being married in the Roman Catholic service at Saint-Michel-et-Gudule Cathedral in Brussels. Prince Philippe is first in line to succeed his father King Albert II, and the first Belgian crown prince to marry a Belgian. His own mother, Queen Paola, is Italian. Mathilde is of noble Flemish stock. She grew up in Wallon and speaks French, Dutch, English and Italian. La princesse Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz et le prince Philippe de Belgique sourient au public, le 04 décembre 1999, à leur sortie de la cathédrale St Michel St Gudule de Bruxelles, après la cérémonie religieuse de leur mariage. (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images)
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AFP PHILIPPE HUGUEN