Christopher Stone, the husband of former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès has passed away following a long illness, reports La Libre, La Dernière Heure and later confirmed by Belga.
In April 2022, Wilmès stepped back from her duties as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade, and the Federal Cultural Institutions to care for her husband after he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.
She tendered her resignation to the king in July 2022 to make more time for her family. "My husband's illness will be a difficult battle that I want to fight at his side and at the side of our children," Wilmès said at the time. "My current duties in the government do not allow me to do so."
From October 2019 to October 2020, Wilmès served as Belgium's Prime Minister. During the first six months of that period, she headed a caretaker government, after former Prime Minister Charles Michel resigned and became President of the European Council.
From March 2020, Wilmès led a full minority government, until De Croo took over after the formation of the current Federal Government on 1 October 2020. She is a member of the French-speaking liberal party, MR.
