It's set to be a big year for the Monagasque royal family.
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2023 will see the arrival of a brand new baby – the first child for Marie Ducruet and her husband, Louis.
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Louis is the son of Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Daniel Ducruet, the nephew of Prince Albert of Monaco, and the grandson of Ranier III and American actress Grace Kelly.
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The couple met in their first year at business school and were married in July 2019. They are set to welcome a little girl later this year.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLouis and wife Marie are set to welcome a baby girl
On 30 December, Marie celebrated her landmark 30th birthday – and as a thank you to fans for their well-wishes posed for a sweet snapshot showcasing her baby bump.
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The snapshot shows Marie stood to the side and smiling for the camera. She is cradling her tummy and dressed in a beautiful pink wrap dress.
Marie shared a beautiful baby bump photo with fans
In an interview with French magazine Point du Vue in April last year, Marie and Louis spoke about their plans to start a family.
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"It's true that Louis has been telling me about his desire to be a dad for several years," Marie said. "I'm not totally ready yet. I would like to wait a bit longer, but maybe next year?" Louis added: "30 would be a beautiful age to make this project come true!"
© Photo: Getty ImagesLouis with mother Princess Stephanie and sister Pauline
However, it seems the couple have differing ideas on how many children they would like to have together.
"Ideally, I'd like to have three to four children. I have one brother and three sisters," Louis said. "Having a big family just like mine would be true bliss." His wife, however, admitted she'd rather stop at two children.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple were married in 2019
The couple started dating as students when they were both attending Skema Business School in Sophia Antipolis, France, in 2011. Louis popped the question to Marie in 2018, during a romantic beach proposal.
They tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Monaco's townhall on 26 July 2019, with the bride in a simple ivory jumpsuit and with her hair swept back in a pretty clip.
The couple were married by Monaco's mayor George Marsan followed by an informal garden reception in the Prince's Palace.
They went on to have a more lavish affair just one day later, marrying at Monaco's Cathedral in an emotional religious ceremony.
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