When Prince Fèlix of Luxembourg announced the exciting news of his engagement to Claire Lademacher, royal watchers turned their attention to his stunning brunette fiancée.Little was known about the 28-year-old German student who had captured the heart of Luxembourg's second in line to the throne, but with their wedding day now just two weeks away HELLO! Online has collected ten interesting facts about Europe's next royal bride...
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Fèlix and Claire Lademacher
1. Claire was born near Stuttgart in Filderstadt, southern Germany, to Gabrielle and Hartmut Lademacher, who has an estimated fortune of €600m after founding technology company, LHS Telekommunikation. As well as his imense wealth Harmut owns a hotel in Switzerland, castles in Croatia and Saint Tropez and luxury properties in Germany, Spain and France.Claire's mother formerly had a career in law and is also actively involved in cultural policy in Germany, including issues relating to refugees. 2. When Claire was 11 the family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. During her time at Atlanta International the school began fundraising to build a performing arts centre. When they were unable to meet their fundraising deadline Claire's family contributed $1m to the project and the centre was named the Lademacher Performing Arts Centre in recognition of their generosity.
© Photo: RexPrince Fèlix and Claire at a benefit gala in Miami, Florida
3. Hartmut and Gabrielle's strong work ethic has certainly influenced their inteligent daughter who started working in publishing at Condé Nast in New York and Munich before changing careers and becoming a bioethics PhD candidate at the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in Rome.Claire was also a visiting scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C and has attended several events as a guest lecturer on bioethics and organ donation.4. Thanks to her international education, Claire moved from Atlanta to school in Germany and then to Switzerland, she speaks German, English, French and Italian.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple at the wedding of Archduke of Austria Christoph of Habsbourg-Lorraine and Archduchess Adelaide Drape-Frisc
5. It was during her time at Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil that Claire crossed paths with Prince Fèlix began and, following his girlfriend, Fèlix decided to also pursure a career in bioethics and study at the same Italian university.6. Claire was present at Fèlix's brother Prince Guillaume's wedding to Stephanie de Lannoy in October 2012, although the couple were not allowed to sit together as they were not married.
© Photo: RexFèlix and Claire at Archduke Christoph and Archduchess Adelaide Drape-Frisc's civil ceremony
7. Claire enjoys a close relationship with the rest of Fèlix's brothers and sisters, as does he with Claire's family. The princess-to-be was seen with Felix's sister Princess Alexandra at the wedding of her and Felix's cousin, Archduke Christoph of Austria, in Washington D.C.8. Royal fans soon began paying attention to the pretty student's style and fan pages were created offering people information on Claire's clothing and how her elegant look can be copied.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe families come together for an official engagement photograph
9. Fèlix and Claire announced their engagement in December 2012 and the couple are set to tie the knot in a civil cermony on 17 September at the Villa Rothschild in Königstein im Taunus, in the bride's native Germany. A religious wedding will take place four days later at the Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in France.10. Upon her marriage to Prince Fèlix, Claire will assume the feminine form of her husband's titles and be known as a Princess of Luxembourg with the style of Royal Highness.
