Queen Astrid
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Astrid of Sweden (Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra; 17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was a member of the Swedish House of Bernadotte and later became Queen of the Belgians as the first wife of King Leopold III. Following her marriage to Leopold in November 1926, she assumed the title of Duchess of Brabant. Astrid held the position of Queen of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until her death in 1935. Known for her charitable efforts, she focused particularly on causes related to women and children. Astrid and Leopold had three children. Their daughter, Joséphine-Charlotte, later became the
Grand Duchess Consort of Luxembourg The consort is the spouse of a reigning Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The consort of the current monarchy, monarch is Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Princess Stéphanie is expected to b ...
, while their sons both ascended the throne as
King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...
. Their son King Albert II named his first daughter,
Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pr ...
, after his mother. Queen Astrid was the sister of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway (the wife of the future King
Olav V Olav V (, ; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was born at Sandringham House in England, the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud o ...
).


Early life

Princess Astrid was born on 17 November 1905 at her parents’ then-residence, the ''
Arvfurstens Palats Arvfurstens palats (Palace of the Hereditary Prince) is a palace located at Gustav Adolfs torg, Stockholm, Gustav Adolfs Torg in central Stockholm. Designed by Erik Palmstedt, the palace was originally the private residence of Princess Princess So ...
'' at Gustav Adolfs Torg in central
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. She was the third child and youngest daughter of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, and his wife, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her father was the third son of Oscar II, King of Sweden and Norway, by his wife, Sophia of Nassau, and was a younger brother of King Gustav V of Sweden. Astrid’s mother was a daughter of King
Frederik VIII of Denmark Frederik VIII (; 3 June 1843 – 14 May 1912) was King of Denmark from 29 January 1906 until his death in 1912. As the eldest son of King Christian IX, nicknamed the '' Father-in-law of Europe'', Frederick was related to royalty throughout E ...
by his wife,
Louise of Sweden Louise of Sweden (; 31 October 1851 – 20 March 1926) was List of Danish royal consorts, Queen of Denmark from 1906 until 1912 as the wife of Frederick VIII of Denmark, King Frederick VIII. Born into the House of Bernadotte, Louise was the onl ...
, and the younger sister of kings
Christian X of Denmark Christian X (; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 until his death in 1947, and the only King of Iceland as Kristján X, holding the title as a result of the personal union between Denmark and independent Icel ...
and Haakon VII of Norway. Astrid had two elder sisters, Margaretha, Princess Axel of Denmark, and Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway, as well as a younger brother, Prince Carl Bernadotte (prev. Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland). Astrid grew up with her sisters and younger brother at ''Byström's Villa'' (also known as Prince Carl's Palace) on the island
Djurgården Djurgården ( or ) or, more officially, , is an island in central Stockholm, Sweden. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, the amusement park Gröna Lund, the open-air museum Skansen, the small resident ...
in central Stockholm until 1923, when the family had to leave the house for financial reasons. After 1909, holidays were spent at the family's summer residence ''Villa Fridhem by
Bråviken Bråviken is a bay of the Baltic Sea that is located near Norrköping in Östergötland, Sweden. It is an example of a fjard A fjard (, ) is a large open space of water between groups of islands or mainland in archipelagos. Fjards can be found ...
, a bay of the
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
near
Norrköping Norrköping ( , ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Lin ...
. Astrid was raised with a strict education and little luxury. She attended the Sint Botvid boarding school, where lessons were taught in French, then went on to the Akerstrom-Soderstrom finishing school, where she studied sewing, piano, ballet and childcare. After she finished school, Astrid worked at a Stockholm orphanage where she cared for children.


Engagement and wedding

Due to her royal status, Astrid was named as a potential bride for a number of princes, including the future Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the future
Olav V of Norway Olav V (, ; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was born at Sandringham House in England, the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of ...
. In September 1926, her engagement with Prince Leopold of Belgium, Duke of Brabant was announced. The King said: "The Queen and I would like to announce to you the impending marriage between Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, and Princess Astrid of Sweden. We are convinced that the princess will bring joy and happiness to our son. Leopold and Astrid have decided to join their lives without any pressures or reasons of state. Theirs is a true union among people with the same inclinations." Queen Elizabeth said: "It is a marriage of love... tell it to our people. Nothing was arranged. Not a single political consideration prevailed in our son's decision." Princess Astrid entered into a
civil marriage A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular. History Countries maintaining a popul ...
with Prince Leopold in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
on 4 November 1926, and the pair were married religiously in Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Brussels on 10 November 1926. The couple travelled separately to
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
after their civil marriage and reunited in Belgium. The religious marriage was attended by a large wedding party of young friends and relatives: Princess Feodora of Denmark, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, Princess Märtha of Sweden, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Alfhild Ekelund, Prince Carl of Sweden, Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Margareta Stähl, Count Claes Sparre, Anna Adelswärd, Prince Charles of Belgium, Count Folke Bernadotte, Baron Sigvard Beck-Friis, Anne Marie von Essen, and Baron Carl Strömfelt. Princess Astrid was given a tiara created by Belgian jeweler Van Bever as a wedding gift from the Belgian government. The original version of the diadem is a flexible diamond bandeau in a stylized Greek key motif topped with 11 large diamonds on spikes. These large stones, totaling around 100 carats on their own, symbolized the nine provinces of Belgium and the now former Belgian colony of the Congo. She later added a set of diamond arches to enclose each of the 11 independent stones. After Astrid's death, the tiara was in King Leopold's possession, and his second wife
Lilian, Princess of Réthy Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess of Réthy (born Mary Lilian Henriette Lucie Josephine Ghislaine Baels; – ) was the second wife of King Leopold III of Belgium. Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Belgium, she became a volunteer a ...
wore parts of the tiara, but not the full set of gems, as Lilian never held the title of Queen. Leopold abdicated the throne in favor of his son Baudouin; when Baudouin married, Leopold gave the tiara to the new queen, Fabiola, who wore it on her wedding day. She handed the jewel over after Baudouin's death to be worn by Queen Paola who, after the abdication of her husband Albert, gave it to Mathilde, the new Queen of the Belgians.


Duchess of Brabant

The Duke and Duchess of Brabant spent their honeymoon in the
south of France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
before moving into a wing of 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 ...
. After the honeymoon period, Princess Astrid began learning French and Dutch. Astrid was enthusiastically adopted by the Belgians for her beauty, charm and simplicity. As the Duchess of Brabant, she worked to alleviate various forms of adversity. In October 1927, Leopold and Astrid had a daughter, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte, later Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and mother of
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri (; , ; born 16 April 1955) is Grand Duke of Luxembourg, reigning since 2000. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, a ...
. The birth of Joséphine-Charlotte was a difficult period for Astrid, as women were barred from the line of succession to the throne. One year later, she and her husband visited the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, now
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. They arrived on the ship ''Insulinde''. When the couple visited
Surakarta Surakarta (Javanese script, Javanese: , Pegon script, Pegon: ), known colloquially as Solo (Javanese script, Javanese: ; ), is a major List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in Central Java, Indonesia. The city adjoins Karanganyar Reg ...
, Astrid and her husband received a box with a golden
kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...
inside as a present from the Dutch East Indies government. Princess Astrid received a box with a fan inlaid with gold inside as a gift. Local people admired Princess Astrid's warm, enthusiastic, and less formal attitude. The couple visited Radio Poestoko Museum and Societet Habiprojo, where they watched a
wayang ( , ) is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. The term refers both to the show as a whole and the puppet in particular. Performances of wayang puppet theatre are accompanied by a ''gamel ...
show. They also visited
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
and
Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
. After having spent five months in the Dutch East Indies, the couple travelled back to Belgium on the ship ''Tjerimai''. Upon their return, the couple moved into Stuyvenberg Castle. In September 1930, Astrid gave birth to Prince Baudouin, who eventually became
King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...
. Raised as a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
, Astrid converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
after marrying Leopold. She had considered converting to Catholicism earlier, as it was the official religion of
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, but delayed her conversion after consulting with Fr William Hemmick, who told her to wait until she genuinely believed it was the true religion. Astrid converted to Catholicism in 1930, confiding to a close childhood friend: "My soul has found peace." On the day of Astrid's conversion, her father-in-law King Albert I said: "I am glad, very glad. Now all the family is united in the same religion." In 1932, Astrid and her husband traveled to
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and the Congo. According to a May 1933 print of ''
De Locomotief ''De Locomotief'' was the first newspaper published in Semarang, in the era of Dutch East Indies. It was established in 1845 and led by Pieter Brooshooft, an ethical political activist. The daily was originally named ''Semarangsch Nieuws en Adve ...
'', the photographs of their visit to the Dutch East Indies were published as a collection in a book titled ''De Reis van Prins Leopold door Ned-Indie''. After their visit to the Congo, Astrid wrote to her friend Countess Anna Sparre (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Baroness Anna Adelswärd) about the majestic landscapes of Congo land and her concerns about suffering, poverty and infant mortality that the Congolese faced. The Duchess of Brabant became a godmother to Anna Sparre's daughter, Christina, and her sister Crown Princess Märtha's second daughter, Princess Astrid.


Queen

On 17 February 1934, King Albert I died in a mountain-climbing accident in Marche-les-Dames, Belgium. Leopold and Astrid became the new King and Queen of the Belgians. Later that year, the third child of Leopold and Astrid was born. He was named ''Albert'' after his grandfather, and would eventually succeed his brother Baudouin as
King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...
. The present King of the Belgians, Philippe, is Albert's son. As Queen of the Belgians, Astrid dedicated her time to raising her children and promoting social causes that brought her into contact with the Belgians. She was concerned by the situations of women, children, and disadvantaged people. During an economic crisis in Belgium in 1935 she organized the collection of clothing, money and food for the poor through an open letter, published as the "Queen’s Appeal." Queen Astrid also visited poor settlements in Belgium.Sparre, Anna. ''Astrid mon amie''. 2005. Queen Astrid was particularly interested in training women formally in childcare and healthcare.Koninckx, Christian; Libert-Vandenhove, Louise-Marie. ''Astrid: 1905-1935'' (2005). pp. 103-115. She also supported the training of young girls as dressmakers to better their career opportunities. She supported Catholic charitable institutions, such as the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, and liberal organizations, such as the ''Fédération des Foyers Belges''. She also gave audiences to advocates of
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
such as Baroness Marthe Boël, president of the National Council of Belgian Women. In May 1935, Queen Astrid patronized Milk Week, an effort to encourage Belgians to drink healthy beverages. She charged Gatien du Parc, one of her courtiers, with the task of preparing a detailed report on milk regulations in foreign countries after a strict investigation. Queen Astrid often did charitable works as part of a Relief Committee.Willem van de Poll)"> File:Koning Leopold III en koningin Astrid in hun paleis te Laken, Bestanddeelnr 252-1573.jpg File:Koningin Astrid in het paleis te Laken, Bestanddeelnr 252-1576.jpg File:Koningin Astrid in het paleis te Laken aan het bloemschikken, Bestanddeelnr 252-1577.jpg File:Koningin Astrid van België met een assistente, Bestanddeelnr 255-8607.jpg File:Koningin Astrid in het paleis te Laken aan haar schrijftafel, Bestanddeelnr 252-1578.jpg File:Koningin Astrid in het paleis te Laken met haar zoon Albert, Bestanddeelnr 252-1581.jpg File:Prinses Astrid van België met prins Albert, Bestanddeelnr 254-5635.jpg


Hobbies and personality

Queen Astrid had a warm, friendly, social, and charming personality. According to her friend Countess Anna Sparre, Astrid was a shy and insecure woman—a disposition she believes may have been influenced by Astrid's mother favoring her elder sister Märtha. Apparently a timid and fragile woman, Astrid could be fierce and stern when she had to defend a wronged loved one. She collected Swedish folk art and enjoyed sports such as
swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...
,
skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
,
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
, horseback riding and
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
.


Death

In August 1935, the King and Queen went incognito to their holiday home, ''Villa Haslihorn'' in Horw, on the shores of
Lake Lucerne Lake Lucerne (, literally 'Lake of the four Waldstätte, forested settlements' (in English usually translated as ''forest cantons''), , ) is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country. Geography The lake has a compli ...
, Switzerland. Joséphine-Charlotte and Baudouin travelled with their parents, while the one-year-old Prince Albert remained in Brussels. On 29 August 1935, the King and Queen went for a last hike in the mountains before returning home. Their chauffeur was sitting in the back of the Packard One-Twenty convertible; the King was driving and the Queen looking at a map. At approximately 9:30 am the Queen pointed out something to her husband, who looked away from the road. The car left the road, travelled down a steep slope, and collided with a pear tree. Queen Astrid, who was pregnant with her fourth child, had opened her door in an attempt to jump off but was thrown out upon impact, dying instantly after striking her head on the trunk of the tree while the car hit a second tree. She was only 29 years old. Queen Astrid is interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels, beside her husband, King Leopold III, and his second wife,
Lilian, Princess of Réthy Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess of Réthy (born Mary Lilian Henriette Lucie Josephine Ghislaine Baels; – ) was the second wife of King Leopold III of Belgium. Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Belgium, she became a volunteer a ...
.


Legacy


Folklore

, a Swiss historian, describes how Queen Astrid entered folklore in Belgium and Switzerland.''Réactions à la mort de la reine Astrid, 1905-1935'', document of historian . Months after her death, newlyweds brought flowers to the place where the Queen died. The chapel visitors would also bring wreaths and candles. The visits peaked on feasts of All Saints and All Souls. The Queen was described as an icon of beauty, kindness, romance, marriage, and as a model
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. The Mayor of Küssnacht told the Belgian Ambassador to Switzerland: "It is on pilgrimage that these couples arrive here from all over the canton. These young newlyweds, in bridal dress, whom you saw visiting the place where Queen Astrid passed away, are imploring her protection. Your young Queen has become part of Swiss legend; she is, for our people, who have beatified her in their hearts, the symbol of maternal love and conjugal fidelity."


Memorials

In 1935, the Belgian postal authorities issued a
postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...
showing her portrait outlined in black. This is known as the ''Astrid Mourning'' issue. Later that same year, it released a series of anti-tuberculosis fund stamps with the same design. in
8th arrondissement of Paris The 8th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le huitième'' (). The ar ...
was named in her memory. A commemorative chapel named ''Astrid Chapel'' was built in Switzerland at the site of the crash. The Swiss government gave the land to Belgium a year after Astrid's death and the chapel was built in the style of a Walloon country church. The chapel has become a destination for Swedish and Belgian tourists. ''The King's Cross'', built where the Queen died in her husband's arms, is made from Swedish granite. A museum nearby holds images and memorabilia of the event, including a shard from the windshield and the trunk of the pear tree. The tree itself fell after a storm in 1992. The car was sunk at a deep part of the Vierwaldstättersee at the request of the king.Der belgische König kommt nach Küssnacht
''
Neue Zürcher Zeitung The (''NZZ''; "New Newspaper of Zurich") is German language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zurich. The paper was founded in 1780. It has a reputation as a high-quality newspaper, as the German Swiss newspaper of record ...
''
A memorial was built by the architect Paul Bonduelle in
Laeken (French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is a residential suburb in the north-western part of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. It belongs to the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, municipality of the ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, and inaugurated on 21 July 1938. The building, which is in the late neo-classical style, faces the Church of Our Lady of Laeken and backs onto 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 ...
. The same year, on the initiative of the local Veterans' Front, a bronze bust of the Queen was erected in Wisterzée Park in
Court-Saint-Étienne Court-Saint-Étienne (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 Court-Saint-Étienne had a total population of 9,408. The total area is which gives a population density of inhabitan ...
, Belgium, by sculptor Victor Rousseau. Astrid Avenue in Bogor Botanical Garden in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
was named after her while she was honeymooning there with her spouse in 1928. The avenue is decorated with spectacular displays of canna lilies of various colors. The Swedish layer cake Princess cake was named after Astrid and her two sisters when they were children.


Names

Four of her descendants were named Astrid to honour her: her granddaughters Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg,
Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pr ...
, her great-granddaughter Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein and her great-great-granddaughter Archduchess Anna Astrid of Austria-Este. Her niece Princess Astrid of Norway (later Mrs. Ferner) was also named in her honour. Her husband King Leopold III's first daughter with his second wife Lilian Baels, Princess Marie-Christine Daphné Astrid Élisabeth Léopoldine of Belgium (b. 1951), was named after her.


Gallery

File:Kortrijk Astridpark-6.JPG, Statue of Astrid in a park at
Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...
named for her. File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Mémorial Reine Astrid - 01.jpg,
Queen Astrid Memorial in
Laeken (French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is a residential suburb in the north-western part of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. It belongs to the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, municipality of the ...

(architect Paul Bonduelle, 1938).
File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Mémorial Reine Astrid - 13.jpg,
Statue of the Queen in the Queen Astrid Memorial in Laeken.
File:Belgique - Parc de Wisterzée - Reine Astrid - 03.jpg,
Bronze bust of the Queen in
Court-Saint-Étienne Court-Saint-Étienne (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 Court-Saint-Étienne had a total population of 9,408. The total area is which gives a population density of inhabitan ...

( Victor Rousseau, 1938).


Arms


Ancestry


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Catherine Barjansky. "Portraits with Backgrounds." * Art Beeche. "The Snow Princess." * Robert Capelle. "Dix-huit ans auprès du Roi Léopold." * Charles d'Ydewalle. "Albert and the Belgians: Portrait of a King." * Evelyn Graham. "Albert King of the Belgians." * * Luciano Regolo. "La Regina Incompresa." * Lars Rooth. "More Joy Than Pain." *


External links


Royal Love Match (1926)
newsreel on the
British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
YouTube Channel
Tragic Death of the Queen of the Belgians (1935)
newsreel on the
British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
YouTube Channel
Portraits of the Nation: Postage Stamps and National IdentityThe making of a Belgicist
reference to Villa Haslihorn
Packard Club
images from the Packard car after the accident

''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' article * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Astrid Of Sweden 1905 births 1935 deaths Duchesses of Brabant Queens consort of Belgium Naturalised citizens of Belgium Princesses of Sweden House of Bernadotte Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Dames of Malta Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism Swedish Roman Catholics Road incident deaths in Switzerland Princesses of Belgium Belgian people of Swedish descent Royalty from Stockholm Burials at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken Former Lutherans House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium) Mothers of Belgian monarchs