Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, 33, announces engagement to British investment banker William Isvy

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, the niece of King Philippe, has announced her engagement to William Isvy, a British investment banker.

The royal, 33, who lives in London, sported a black floral dress as she showed off a dazzling diamond and sapphire ring in engagement photos which have been released by the Palace.

The wedding will take place in the second half of 2022, a statement released today revealed.

Maria Laura, is the daughter of Princess Astrid – King Albert’s eldest daughter –  and her husband Prince Lorenz,  the head of the House of Austria-Este.  Princess Astrid is the younger sister of Philippe of Belgium, the current monarch.  

Maria Laura is also the granddaughter of Albert II of Belgium, who abdicated in 2013 for health reasons. 

William Isvy was born in Paris to a British mother and an French-Moroccan father but spend most of his childhood in London.     

Sweet shots show the couple in leafy garden. Maria is shown resting her hand of her fiancé’s chest as she sports a natural make-up look accessorising with just a pair of small hoop earrings. 

The royal, 33, who lives in London, sported a black floral dress as she showed off a dazzling diamond and sapphire ring in engagement photos which have been released by the Palace.

Maria Laura, is the daughter of Princess Astrid – King Albert’s eldest daughter – and her husband Prince Lorenz (pictured together), the head of the House of Austria-Este. Princess Astrid is the younger sister of Philippe of Belgium, the current monarch. They are pictured at Marie Astrid’s wedding

William studied at French Lycée Charles de Gaulle, before heading to  McGill University in Montreal to obtain a financial license. After graduating he worked in mergers and acquisitions for an American investment bank and now works in asset management.  

Maria Laura was raised away from the royal spotlight and grew up in Bazel, Switzerland, until the age of five as her father worked for an international bank. 

Alongside her siblings –  Prince Amedeo, Prince Joachim. Princess Luisa Maria a md Princess Laetitia Maria she was raised away from royal duty and rarely appears at pubic engagements.

In 1993, her family relocated to Villa Schonenberg, part of the Royal Domain of Laeken. While there, she  went to the St. John Berchmans College in Brussels and. John’s International School in Waterloo, Belgium. 

She then went on to study sinology and international relations in Paris, and she obtained a Master’s Degree in international relations and diplomacy at SOAS.  University of London. 

After graduating, she went on to do an internship at the UN in New York and worked for Louis Vuitton in Shanghai.   

She has been spotted at some official events including the annual mass to commemorate the deceased members of the Belgian Royal Family – and joined her mother on official trips to China.