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Paola Margherita Maria-Antonia Consiglia dei Principi Ruffo di Calabria (born 11 September 1937) is a member of the
In 1958, the
Apart from her activities in the company of King Albert II, Paola devotes her time to social issues mainly in the social and cultural sphere.
The Queen has demonstrated interest in the contemporary Belgian arts, visiting ''Venetian Biennale'' several times. She has acquired works of Jan Fabre, Michael Borremans and others for the Royal collection. The Queen has often met with such artists as Luc Tuymans and Dirk Braeckman.
Paola takes a keen interest in the protection and preservation of Belgium's heritage. She makes numerous visits to cultural sites, from Beguine convents to early 19th century industrial facilities. Paola is interested in both traditional and contemporary crafts, and takes every opportunity to encourage the exercise and teaching of craft professions.
Paola keeps abreast of contemporary art and regularly supports major exhibitions and artistic performances both in Belgium and abroad. On her initiative, contemporary artists have had the opportunity to design and make original works within the
The Belgian Monarchy website
attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to her marriage, Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, The Descendants of Louis XIII, ''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'', ''La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg'' and ''Le Petit Gotha'', among others, accord only the noble prefix of '' Donna'' to her and her sisters, reserving the title ''Principessa'' for the wife of the head of the family, Paola's father having received the title of
Biography on the official Belgian monarchy web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paola of Belgium, Queen 1937 births Living people Queens consort of Belgium Italian nobility People from Forte dei Marmi Belgian people of Italian descent Naturalised citizens of Belgium House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium) Princesses of Belgium Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Dames of Malta Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania People of Calabrian descent Polissena Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Princesses by marriage Belgian queen mothers
Belgian royal family
The monarchy of Belgium is the constitutional and hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/queen of the Belgians and serves as the ...
who was Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, King Albert II, from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.
Early life and family background
Paola Margherita Maria-Antonia Consiglia Ruffo di Calabria was born inForte dei Marmi
Forte dei Marmi () is an Italian sea town and ''comune'' located in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany, overlooking the Ligurian Sea.
Tourism is the principal activity of Forte dei Marmi's citizens. The population of the town, amounting to ...
, Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, Italy, the seventh and youngest child of Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
of Guardia Lombarda (1884–1946), who was a World War I Italian flying ace.''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser'' XVI. "Ruffo". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp. 522–529. . Her mother was Donna Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989), a matrilineal
Matrilineality, at times called matriliny, is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which people identify with their matriline, their mother's lineage, and which can involve the inheritan ...
descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...
, a hero of the American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. She is predominantly of Italian and French ancestry, with a dash of Belgian, Dutch and German. In her youth, she was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe.
Queen Paola is fluent in Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, French, German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and English. Less fluent, and the cause of occasional criticism, is her Dutch, the mother tongue of nearly 60 percent of Belgians.
Marriage and family
In 1958, the Prince of Liège
Prince of Liège ( French: Prince de Liège, Dutch: Prins van Luik, German: Prinz von Lüttich) is a substantive title awarded by King Leopold III of the Belgians to his younger son, Prince Albert (the future King Albert II), while he was secon ...
went to the Vatican to witness the coronation of Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...
. At a reception at the Belgian embassy, the Prince met Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria. "We were both shy, so we only talked a little", Paola said later about their first meeting. Prince Albert later proposed marriage to Paola and she accepted. Their engagement was announced at the Palace of Laeken
The Palace of Laeken or Castle of Laeken (; ; ) is the official residence of the King and Queen of the Belgians and the Belgian royal family. It lies in the Brussels-Capital Region, north of the city centre, in Laeken (part of the City of ...
in 1959. The couple married at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels on 2 July 1959. They have three children together: King Philippe (born 15 April 1960), Princess Astrid (born 5 June 1962), and Prince Laurent (born 19 October 1963).
The couple's marriage was in trouble by the 1970s and Albert fathered a daughter by Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, named Delphine. Despite starting divorce negotiations at the time, the couple remained married, and reconciled in the 1980s, celebrating it with a new symbolic wedding ceremony.
Activities
Apart from her activities in the company of King Albert II, Paola devotes her time to social issues mainly in the social and cultural sphere.
The Queen has demonstrated interest in the contemporary Belgian arts, visiting ''Venetian Biennale'' several times. She has acquired works of Jan Fabre, Michael Borremans and others for the Royal collection. The Queen has often met with such artists as Luc Tuymans and Dirk Braeckman.
Paola takes a keen interest in the protection and preservation of Belgium's heritage. She makes numerous visits to cultural sites, from Beguine convents to early 19th century industrial facilities. Paola is interested in both traditional and contemporary crafts, and takes every opportunity to encourage the exercise and teaching of craft professions.
Paola keeps abreast of contemporary art and regularly supports major exhibitions and artistic performances both in Belgium and abroad. On her initiative, contemporary artists have had the opportunity to design and make original works within the Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels ( ; ; ) is the official palace of the Monarchy of Belgium, King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels. However, it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family l ...
.
In 1992, Paola established the Queen Paola Foundation. The foundation focused on integration and training for young people. The foundation's activities are geared towards social integration, support for teachers at all levels of the education system and schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
Paola is an honorary chairman of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and Missing Children Europe.
Health
In 2015, the court announced Queen Paola was taking "a period of total rest" following doctors' orders. They also announced that she had to cancel a planned visit to the Biennale in Venice. Further communications were kept private. Paola sent a message to Grosio, where she was expected to visit the residence of her aunt the Marchioness Margherita Pallavicini Mossi. Newspapers believed that the Queen suffered a stroke during the holiday. The palace later announced she was being treated for acardiac arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. Essentially, this is anything but normal sinus rhythm. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beat ...
. In 2016, she fractured a vertebra and in the following year she suffered from a fractured femoral neck and broke her hip. In September 2018, her visit to Venice was cut short and she was flown to a hospital in Belgium due to what was described by the palace as a "health problem", though some outlets speculated that she had suffered a stroke. In March 2022, she was ordered to rest for two months after breaking her arm in a fall.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
* 11 September 1937 – 2 July 1959: '' Donna'' Paola Ruffo di CalabriaAlthougThe Belgian Monarchy website
attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to her marriage, Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, The Descendants of Louis XIII, ''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'', ''La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg'' and ''Le Petit Gotha'', among others, accord only the noble prefix of '' Donna'' to her and her sisters, reserving the title ''Principessa'' for the wife of the head of the family, Paola's father having received the title of
prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
in the Italian nobility
The Italian nobility ( Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ages, and by the k ...
in 1928 from King Victor Emmanuel III
Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albania ...
, heritable according to masculine primogeniture
Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...
.de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. ''Le Petit Gotha''. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 702 (French) Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). ''Burke's Guide to the Royal Family'', Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 226. Willis, Daniel, ''The Descendants of Louis XIII'', Clearfield Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1999, p. 100. .Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 54, 58. French.
* 2 July 1959 – 9 August 1993: ''Her Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled ''Majesty''.
When used as a direct form of add ...
'' The Princess of Liège
* 9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013: '' Her Majesty'' The Queen of the Belgians
* 21 July 2013 – present: ''Her Majesty'' Queen Paola of Belgium
Honours
National
*: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold *: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
Foreign
*: Grand Star of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, 1st Class *: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains *: Knight of theOrder of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (, also the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. (The Latin name ''Terra Mariana'' ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
The Order of the White Rose of Finland (; ) is one of three official Order (decoration), orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit
*: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
*: Dame of the Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
*: Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy.
History
The medal was established by Leo XII ...
*: Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown
The is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Since the Order of the Rising Sun at that time was an Order for men, it was established as an Order for women. Originally the order had five classes, but on Apr ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great
The Order of Vytautas the Great () is the Lithuanian Presidential Award.''Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija. 84 straipsnis''. Priimta 1992 It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguish ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
*: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815.
The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange
*: Recipient of the Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix, Princess of Orange and Claus Van Amsberg
*: Knight of the Order of the White Eagle
*: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
*: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...
*: Dame Grand Cross of Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
*: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III
The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...
*: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
The Royal Order of the Seraphim (; '' Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is the highest order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Ord ...
*: Recipient of the Commemorative 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Arms
Ancestry
See also
* Queen Paola Foundation * The Queen's CharitiesFootnotes
References
External links
Biography on the official Belgian monarchy web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paola of Belgium, Queen 1937 births Living people Queens consort of Belgium Italian nobility People from Forte dei Marmi Belgian people of Italian descent Naturalised citizens of Belgium House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium) Princesses of Belgium Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Dames of Malta Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania People of Calabrian descent Polissena Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Princesses by marriage Belgian queen mothers