On the occasion of Belgium’s National Day, Princess Delphine posted a rare family picture on her Instagram account that made the rounds on national and international media for various reasons.
It is very rare for Belgium’s newest princess to publish images of her family, including her partner Jim O’Hare and their two children Josephine and Oscar.
But most importantly, the image also includes King Albert and, surprisingly, Queen Paola, in a show of family unity.
The image sees the royal couple sitting at a table, and standing behind them are Princess Delphine with Oscar, Josephine and Jim O’Hare.
The caption is written in English and reads: “It’s unusual for me to share family photos, however on this special Belgium National Day I wanted to celebrate a positive evolution. HAPPY 21 July ☺️ #evolution #hope #Happybelgiumnationalday Photo June 2024”
This picture was a surprise especially because of Queen Paola’s presence. She and King Albert just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary and they have had a lot of ups and downs over the decades.
One of its lowest points was King Albert’s infidelity, which led to Princess Delphine’s birth – hence the surprise of many at seeing her in this family image.
However, Queen Paola has made it clear over the years that she considers family to be one of the most important things to her, and was also present for King Albert and Delphine’s first meeting after her husband officially acknowledged his daughter.
Princess Delphine has attended Belgium’s National Day celebrations as a member of the Royal Family for several years, since the end of her long legal battle to get King Albert to recognise her as his own daughter.
