Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Princess Astrid of Belgium
Archduchess of Austria-Este (more)
Spouse Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este
Issue
Prince Amedeo
Princess Maria Laura
Prince Joachim
Princess Luisa Maria
Princess Laetitia Maria
Full name
Astrid Joséphine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie
House House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (patrilineal)
House of Austria-Este (by marriage)
Father Albert II of Belgium
Mother Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Born 5 June 1962 (1962-06-05) (age 49)
Château de Belvédère, Laeken, Belgium
Belgian Royal Family

HM The King
HM The Queen


HM Queen Fabiola



Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962) is the daughter and second child of King Albert II of the Belgians and his wife Queen Paola. She is the wife of Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg.

Contents

Biography

Her godparents were her uncle Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, 7th Duke di Guardia Lombarda and her aunt Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg. She was born at the Château de Belvédère, near Laeken, and was named for her paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden, the popular first wife of Leopold III of Belgium.

Marriage and issue

Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, the head of the Archducal House of Austria-Este, on 22 September 1984 at Brussels. Lorenz is the eldest son of the late Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915—1996), and his wife Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (born in 1930). Her husband was also created Prince of Belgium by Royal Decree of 10 November 1995.

Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children, who bear the surname "of Belgium" (in each of the three official languages) as members of the Belgian royal family:

Astrid is also godmother to Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg and Prince Gaston of Orléans.

Belgian Red Cross

Astrid was formerly President of the Belgian Red Cross, a position which ended on 31 December 2007. She declined to stand again for election to the role in light of internal struggles in the organization in reconciling its French-speaking and Belgian branches, each of which seeks greater autonomy. The princess is also a colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. She lives with her family in Laeken (Brussels).

Titles and styles

She bears the title "Princess of Belgium" since birth under Belgian law. As wife of the head of the House of Austria-Este, internationally or depending on the situation, she is also accorded the traditional title "Archduchess of Austria-Este" or, more formally, is addressed as HI&RH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este.

Her children by Archduke Lorenz bear the titles "Prince(ss) of Belgium – by Belgian decree of 2 December 1991, in addition to Austrian titles borne by tradition but not by law, "Archduke/Archduchess of Austria, Prince(ss) Imperial of Austria, Prince(ss) Royal of Hungary"[1][2]

Honours

Arms

Gustaaf Janssens, Archivist of the Royal Palace, confirms that HRH Princess Astrid's coat of arms as Princess of Belgium consist of the gold lion on a black background on a lozenge ensigned with the royal crown.

Ancestry

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. Albert I of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Leopold III of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Albert II of Belgium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Oscar II of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Princess Sofia of Nassau
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Princess Astrid of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Frederick VIII of Denmark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Princess Lovisa of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Don Fulco Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Fulco Beniamino Tristano Ruffo di Calabria, 5th Duke di Guardia Lombarda
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Eleonora Galletti di San Cataldo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke di Guardia Lombarda
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Théodore Mosselman du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Laura Mosselman du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Isabelle Coghen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Calisto Gazelli, Count di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Augusto Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Francesca Cotti dei Conti di Ceres
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Félix, Count Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Maria dei Conti Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Luisa Perrone dei Conti di San Martino
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. ^ Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 44,50. French
  2. ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Furstlicher Hauser Bande XIV, C.A. Starke Verlag, Ligne, Limburg, 1991, pp. 92–95. German
  3. ^ Photo during Prince Frederick of Denmark's wedding from Zimbio website - ribbon :
  4. ^ Photo by Seger Press - ribbon :
  5. ^ Princess Astrid at the Belgium Hungary state visit gala dinner - website Belga Pictures
  6. ^ Princess Astrid wearing the Order of Adolphe of Nassau - website Belga Pictures
  7. ^ http://0.t.cdn.belga.be/picture:23475634:preview:watermark Princess Astrid wearing the Order of the Crown] - website Belga Pictures
  8. ^ Princess Astrid wearing the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit - website Knowing The Royals
  9. ^ [1] - official website of the The Belgian Monarchy
  10. ^ Princess Astrid wearing the Order of Prince Henry - website of the Ducal House of Modena
  11. ^ Princess Astrid during the state visit of the Hungarian president - website of the The Belgian Monarchy
  12. ^ Photo from the website of Belga Picture : Official visit of King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia to Belgium in 2001 - Ribbon :
  13. ^ [2] - website PeriScope

External links

Styles of
Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria
Reference style Her Imperial and Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Imperial and Royal Highness
Alternative style Madame
Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 5 June 1962
Belgian royalty
Preceded by
Princess Eléonore of Belgium
Line of succession to the Belgian throne
6th position
Succeeded by
Prince Amedeo, Archduke of Austria-Este