Paola celebrates 80th brithday with gigantic cake but without Laurent
The press was invited to attend the event. The party included a giant cake and a concert in the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo. Some 150 guests were invited, including Edouard Vermeulen of the fashion house Natan and Heidi De Pauw of Child Focus, the organisation for missing children.
Paola is still recovering from a hip and back operation after two nasty falls, but was seen without crutches. She did need the support from her husband, the retired King Albert, to come down the stairs.
The whole family with children and grandchildren was present, except for Laurent, Paola and Albert's youngest son. He said he couldn't make it on time, but eventually turned up 1.5 hours late.
The eye-catcher on the family photo was, apart from Paola herself, her great granddaughter Anna Astrid (1).
