Baroness Myriam Ullens laid to rest in intimate funeral

The Belgian Baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten Whettnal, who was killed outside her home on 29 March, was buried in a relatively intimate ceremony on Friday morning in the Walloon town of Lasne. Around 200 guests attended the ceremony in the church of Saint-Étienne in Ohain.

Access to the service for the well-known businesswoman and philanthropist was by invitation only. Among those present were NATAN fashion designer Edouard Vermeulen and Maurice Lippens, former chairman of Fortis Bank. According to the local police, the funeral proceeded without incident.

Myriam Ullens de Schooten (70) was shot outside her home in Lasne on 29 March. The emergency services arrived too late to save her. The suspect in the murder is Nicolas Ullens de Schooten (58), the stepson of the baroness. Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten, the father of Nicolas Ullens de Schooten, was also wounded but survived. The baron attended the funeral of his wife on Friday.

Nicolas Ullens de Schooten reported to the local police the day after the shooting. He declared that he had drawn his weapon because of a family conflict of a financial nature. Some sources speculate that the baroness had squandered her husband's fortune after he suffered a stroke.

(KOR)

^{Flower wreaths outside the church of Saint-Étienne after the funeral of Baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten Whettnall on 7 April 2023 in Ohain, Belgium © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}