2003 in Belgium

← 2002 2001 2000 2003 in Belgium → 2004 2005 2006
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2003 List of years in Belgium

Events from the year 2003 in Belgium

Incumbents

• Monarch: Albert II ^[1]
• Prime Minister: Guy Verhofstadt

Events

February

• 1 February – Lucas Van Looy consecrated as bishop of Ghent ^[2]
• 15 February – 70,000 people march through the streets of Brussels as part of the global anti-war protest.
• 15-16 February - Antwerp Diamond Heist (largest diamond robbery and one of the largest robberies in history) ^[3]

April

• 12 April – Wedding of Prince Laurent and Claire Coombs ^[4]

May

• 15 May – Art deco cinema De Roma in Borgerhout reopens as a cultural centre and performance venue
• 18 May – Belgian federal election, 2003

June

• 1 June – Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Belgium

July

• 12 July – Verhofstadt II Government sworn in

August

September

• 7 September – Guy Harpigny consecrated as bishop of Tournai

October

• 1 October – Merger between 3 universities leads to the establishment of the University of Antwerp.

Births

• 23 April – Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, fifth child of Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Astrid of Belgium
• 20 August – Prince Gabriel of Belgium, second child of Philippe of Belgium (then Duke of Brabant) and Mathilde of Belgium

Deaths

January

• 8 January - Franz Drappier comic book writer
• 11 January - Bob Maertens soccer player
• 22 January - Georges Mommerency politician
• 29 January - Louis Baret singer and comedian

February

• 4 February
  • Pierre Carteus soccer player
  • André Noyelle cyclist
• 6 February - Mark Braet poet and politician
• 9 February - René Uyttendaele mayor
• 26 February
  • Christian Goethals race-car driver
  • Michel Van Maele mayor

March

• 11 March - Jacques Yerna politician
• 31 March - Theo Mertens trumpet player

April

• 3 April - Karel Boumans comic book writer
• 17 April - Jeff Schell molecular biologist
• 20 April - Henri Lemaître papal diplomat

May

• 15 May
  • Rik Van Steenbergen cyclist
  • Marcel Thielemans singer and trombone player
• 22 May - Albert Mettens soccer player

June

• 1 June - André Lootens mayor
• 26 June - Gerard Gaudaen wood carver

July

• 18 July - Daniël Van Avermaet TV presenter

August

• 1 August - Guy Thys soccer manager
• 5 August - Maurice Mollin cyclist

September

• 4 September - Lola Bobesco violinist
• 8 September - August Vanistendael union leader and politician
• 22 September
  • Maxime Brunfaut architect
  • Armand Pien weather man and TV presenter

October

• 29 October - Albert Cool mayor
• 30 October - Antoon Roosens philosopher

November

• 11 November - Paul Janssen, founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica

December

• 8 December - Charly Talbot politician
• 11 December - Ann Petersen actress

See also

• 2003 in Belgian television

References

1. "Albert II | king of Belgium". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
2. "Bishop Lucas Van Looy [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
3. Davis, Joshua. "The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2026-01-12.
4. NettyRoyal (2023-04-12). "The wedding of Prince Laurent of Belgium and Claire Coombs". NettyRoyal. Retrieved 2026-01-12.