SerpApi.Org
Princess Delphine has insisted she wasn't trying to "steal the spotlight" after wearing an eye-catching pink dress to Belgium's National Day on Tuesday.
King Albert's daughter, who is the half-sister of King Philippe, attended the military parade in Brussels in a short Barbie-pink dress with dramatic shoulders, towering white heels and gloves with hearts on.
Mother-of-two Delphine, 58, was accompanied by her husband, American businessman James O'Hare, who was wearing a navy suit with his hair in a ponytail.
Her outfit received criticism from royal fans, who implied that the 'eccentric' ensemble was not appropriate for the national holiday, where typically formal dress would be expected from the royal family.
However, Delphine defended her outfit decision in an interview with Belgian paper HLN, insisting that "pink is simply my colour".
Speaking of her dress, designed by Bert De Coninck, she said: "It’s not even short enough! I can still wear this now, but maybe not in a few years, when everything starts to sag."
She added: "We wanted to present something super classic this year. But look where it ended up.
"It is absolutely not my intention to steal the spotlight or take it away from someone else. Besides, everyone seeks the spotlight in their own way. King Philippe, for example, has four beautiful children. They stand out because they are truly stunning."
Who is Princess Delphine of Belgium?
Princess Delphine is known for her unusual fashion choices and for defying typical royal dress rules.
At last year's National Day, for example, she was seen wearing a long red dress embellished with metallic studs and a high split up the leg.
Delphine was only granted her royal title after winning a decade-long legal bid in 2020, which she had started in 2013, to be recognised as King Albert’s biological daughter.
Previously, she did not hold a royal title as she was the child of an 18-year affair between the former King of Belgium and aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps.
Since 2020, she has been formally recognised as a member of the Belgian royal family along with her two children, Princess Joséphine of Belgium and Prince Oscar of Belgium.
What is National Day in Belgium?
Belgian National Day is celebrated annually on 21 July and marks the anniversary of King Leopold I taking the constitutional oath as the country's first monarch in 1831.
It is a national holiday and typically involves a Te Deum church service followed by a civil and military parade near the Royal Palace in Brussels.
There are concerts and festivals nationwide as well as a fireworks display in the evening.
This year, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were joined by their four children, Crown Princess Elisabeth, 24, Prince Gabriel, 22, Prince Emmanuel, 20, and Princess Eleonore, 18.
They were dressed in their finest attire for the occasion, with Queen Mathilde, 53, donning a stunning gold lace dress for the military parade.
