Queen Paola of Belgium

Paola
Queen consort of the Belgians
Tenure 9 August 1993 - present
Spouse Albert II of Belgium
Issue
Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant
Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Prince Laurent
Full name
Donna[1] Paola dei Principi Ruffo di Calabria
House House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (by marriage)
Ruffo di Calabria (noble family; by birth)
Father Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria
Mother Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
Born 11 September 1937 (1937-09-11) (age 74)
Villa Claudia, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Religion Roman Catholic
Monarchical styles of
Queen Paola of the Belgians
Reference style Her Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Ma'am
Belgian Royal Family

HM The King
HM The Queen

HM Queen Fabiola

Extended royal family

Paola, Queen of the Belgians (née Donna[1] Paola Ruffo di Calabria; born 11 September 1937) is the queen consort of Albert II of Belgium.

She was born in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy, the seventh and youngest child of the World War I Italian flying ace Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884–1946).[2] Her mother was Luisa Gazelli dei Conti Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989), a matrilineal descendant of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette. She is of Italian and Belgian ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her youth.

Queen Paola is fluent in Italian, French and English. Less fluent, and the cause of occasional criticism, is her Dutch, the mother tongue of nearly 60% of Belgians.

Contents

Background

Ademarus Rufus, who died in 1049, held the title of Comes in southern Italy and Siggerio Ruffo became Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II's grand marshal of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1235.[2] The family divided into two branches after the 14th century: the Ruffo di Calabria and the Ruffo di Scaletta, to the former of which the Queen belongs. Queen Paola's brother, Don Fabrizio Ruffo di Calabria-Santipau (1922-2005), head of the entire family from 1975, was historical heir to the titles of Prince of Scilla, Prince of Palazzolo, Patrician of Naples, Duke of Guardia Lombarda, Count of Sinopoli, Marquis of Licodia Eubea, Count of Nicotera, Baron of Calanna and of Crispano.[2]

Queen Paola is related to historically eminent Roman and southern Italian noble families, including the Colonna, Orsini, Pallavicini, Alliata and Rospigliosi. Among her distinguished ancestors of the French aristocracy were the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of American Independence, and the Dukes of Noailles.

Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1947 the Princes Ruffo di Calabria have become connected by marriage to such formerly reigning dynasties as the Orléans, the Savoys, the Bonapartes and the Windisch-Graetz.>[3]

Marriage and family

Donna Paola married HRH Prince Albert, Prince of Liège, in Brussels, Belgium, on 2 July 1959. The couple have three children:

Titles

Honours

Belgian honours

Foreign honours

Ancestry

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Fulco V Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Fulco VI, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Donna Maria Felicita dei Principi Alliata-Colonna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Fulco VII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Salvatore Galletti, Marchese di San Cataldo, Principe di Fiumesalato
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Eleonora Galletti dei Marchesi di San Cataldo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Concetta Platamone, Principessa di Larderia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Cornelis Mosselman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. Theodore Mosselman du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Petronella Muts
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Laura Mosselman du Chenoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Count Jacques-Andre Coghen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Isabelle Coghen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Caroline Rittweger
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Count Paolino Gazelli di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Count Calisto Gazelli di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Donna Giuseppina Brucco di Ceresole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Augusto Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Carlo Emanuele Cotti, Count di Ceres
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Countess Francesca Cotti di Ceres
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Margherita Arese dei Conti di Barlassina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Count Edoardo Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Count Enrico Vittore Felice Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Maria Cristina dei Marchesi Pilo-Boyl
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Maria dei Conti Rignon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. Ettore Perrone, Count di San Martino
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Luisa Perrone dei Marchesi di San Martino
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Jenny de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ a b Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to marriage, Burke's Peerage 1973, The Descendants of Louis XIII 1999, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels 2001, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg 1996, and Le Petit Gotha 2002 among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to she and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family
  2. ^ a b c d e Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Ruffo". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp.522-529. ISBN 3-7980-0824-8.
  3. ^ a b de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 702 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
  4. ^ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 226. ISBN 0220662223
  5. ^ Willis, Daniel, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Clearfield Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1999, p. 100. ISBN 0-8063-4942-5.
  6. ^ Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 54, 58. French.

External links

Belgian royalty
Preceded by
Fabiola de Mora y Aragón		 Queen consort of the Belgians
1993 – present		 Incumbent