Princess Astrid of Belgium has spoken of the obstacles ahead of her wedding and how the health of several members of her royal family suffered in the days before she married.

Astrid, the only daughter of King Albert II of Belgium, married Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este on September 22nd 1984 but as they prepared to mark their ruby anniversary, the bride talked about her concerns around her family during the final countdown to her wedding.

Speaking to royal correspondent, Wim Dehandschutter, the princess said her father had had a motorbike accident just days before her wedding and so as he walked into the Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablons in Brussels for the religious ceremony, she said he was ”in a lot of pain” from several fractures caused by the crash.

At the the time of Astrid’s marriage, the King of the Belgians was her paternal uncle, Baudouin, and the princess revealed that he, too, was unwell for her big day.

In an exclusive interview for Het Laatste Nieuws in Belgium, she said that King Baudouin was ill with mumps as the countdown to the wedding continued.

In the end, the whole family was present to see the ceremony which was Belgium’s first big royal wedding in over two decades.

Princess Astrid told HLN that her family’s health situation ahead of her marriage had been ”terrible”.

However, both she and Prince Lorenz spoke happily of their wedding and of the family they share which now includes five children and three grandchildren.

Princess Astrid left her husband laughing, though, when they were asked if they had fallen in love at first sight. While Prince Lorenz replied he had, most definitely, his wife just left a pause while he answered.

The two then dissolved into giggles. Princess Astrid said, forty years on, she would do it all over again ”with even more love”.