Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz

Patrick Paul François Marie Ghislain, Count d'Udekem d'Acoz (Uccle, 28 April 1936 - Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, 25 September 2008) was a Belgian nobleman and father of Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant. Princess Mathilde is the wife of the heir apparent to the Belgian throne, Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant.

He was a son of Charles Joseph Marie Ghislain, Baron d'Udekem d'Acoz (Ghent, 8 March 1885 - Proven, 7 December 1968), and his second wife, (m. Proven, 4 February 1933) Suzanne Marie Désirée Ghislaine Josephe van Outryve d'Ydewalle (Wingene, 22 June 1898 - Ypres, 6 April 1983). Upon the marriage of his daughter Princess Mathilde, he was created Count d'Udekem d'Acoz on 4 December 1999.

Count d'Udekem d'Acoz married Countess Anna Maria Komorowska (b. Białogard, 23 September 1946) civilly in Forville on 1 September 1971 and religiously in Hannut on 11 September 1971. She was a daughter of Count Leon Michal Komorowski (Siedliska, 14 August 1907 - 1992) and his wife (m. Warszawa, 25 July 1942), Princess Zofia Sapieżanka (Bobrek, 10 October 1919 - Herstal, 14 August 1997). The couple had five children:

• Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, Countess d'Udekem d'Acoz (b. 20 January 1973) - married Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant on 4 December 1999. They have 4 children, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore.
• Jonkvrouw Marie-Alix d'Udekem d'Acoz (b. 5 September 1974 - d. 14 August 1997) - died in a car accident together with her grandmother
• Margravine Elisabeth Pallavicini, Countess d'Udekem d'Acoz (b. 17 January 1977) - married Marquis Alfonso Pallavicini on 22 July 2006. They have 2 children, Margravine Olympia and Margrave Adalberto.
• Countess Hélene d'Udekem d'Acoz (b. 22 September 1979) - married Baron Nicolas Janssen on 11 June 2011.
• Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz (b. 14 May 1985).

Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz became seriously ill beginning in January 2008. His brother, Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz, revealed that Patrick had fallen into an irreversible coma and was dying of the progressive disease in March 2008. The illness and coma caused Patrick to miss the birth of his granddaughter, Princess Eléonore of Belgium, April 2008. Princess Eléonore, the fourth child of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, was born in the same hospital where Patrick was being treated for his illness.

Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz died on 25 September 2008, at a neurological center in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, at the age of 72. He was survived by his wife and five children.

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