Funeral Queen Elisabeth of Belgium november 1965

[STEVEN]

The Benelux Royals Message Board: Queen Elisabeth of Belgium 25-07-1876 / 23-11-1965

thanks to Chris

[maria-olivia]

Thanks a lot for this pictures. She was my favorite Queen (my avatar).
I saw her at the royal palace , I will never forgot , next to her in a table was her violin. She started the world famous "Concours Reine Elisabeth" A great Lady

[maria-olivia]

I looked the pictures again.
King Leopold III and King Baudouin were the first, followed by Prince Albert, Grand-Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Humberto of Italy (her son in law), and her brother the Duke of Bavaria, followed by King Olav (Leopold's III brother in law )and Prince Alexandre, followed by Victor Emmanuel de Savoie and Alexander of Yougoslavie who was then Marie Pia de Savoie's husband. Royal Ladies stayed inside the cathedral.
Her second son Prince Charles, Count of Flanders was not at the funerals.
The inside of the Cathedral was terrible, with the covered royal chairs for the first two RF rows and under their chairs were oriental carpets.
When 20 years later, Charles the Count of Flanders and his brother Leopold III died , the Cathedral was in renovation and both Funerals took place at the church St Jacques sur Coudenberg. At Charles Funerals, Leopold III and Lilian were not there.
ALL SHOUD HAVE BEEN SO EASY FOR THE RF IF LEOPOLD III DID NOT MARRY LILIAN BAELS. She should be the royal Mistress as others before her.

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

I looked the pictures again.
King Leopold III and King Baudouin were the first, followed by Prince Albert, Grand-Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Humberto of Italy (her son in law), and her brother the Duke of Bavaria, followed by King Olav (Leopold's III brother in law )and Prince Alexandre, followed by Victor Emmanuel de Savoie and Alexander of Yougoslavie who was then Marie Pia de Savoie's husband. Royal Ladies stayed inside the cathedral.
Her second son Prince Charles, Count of Flanders was not at the funerals.
The inside of the Cathedral was terrible, with the covered royal chairs for the first two RF rows and under their chairs were oriental carpets.
When 20 years later, Charles the Count of Flanders and his brother Leopold III died , the Cathedral was in renovation and both Funerals took place at the church St Jacques sur Coudenberg. At Charles Funerals, Leopold III and Lilian were not there.
ALL SHOUD HAVE BEEN SO EASY FOR THE RF IF LEOPOLD III DID NOT MARRY LILIAN BAELS. She should be the royal Mistress as others before her.

Why wasn't the Count of Flandre present at Queen Elisabeth's funeral?

About the Princess of Rethy, I think that the causes of several problems weren't properly her and her marriage to Leopold III, but the time of this facts. I think that if only they had waited some time to marry, after the end of the war, all should have been easyer for Belgium and his (and your) Royal Family.

[LadyLeana]

Originally Posted by MAfan

Why wasn't the Count of Flandre present at Queen Elisabeth's funeral?

About the Princess of Rethy, I think that the causes of several problems weren't properly her and her marriage to Leopold III, but the time of this facts. I think that if only they had waited some time to marry, after the end of the war, all should have been easyer for Belgium and his (and your) Royal Family.

I second that. The Belgians were mostly outraged because the King was allowed to marry and honeymoon somewhere in Europe (wasn't is Switzerland of all places?) while they were all enduring the war, having hardly enough to eat, scared for family members who disappeared... and all the while the King pretended to undergo the same hardship as his people. Also, the memory of the beloved Queen Astrid was still to fresh. The fact that she was a "mere" commoner only added fuel to the fire, it was the proverbial last drop.

I believe Charles never forgave his mother and his brother for not allowing him to marry the woman he loved. Also, he was rather displeased when; after taking th eplace of Head of State as a Regent for Baudouin; he was simply pushed aside.

The funeral was very splendid, but then again, she was very loved and admired (though I believe many a prime minister would have wished she was a little less adventurous)

[crm2317]

I believe in the pictures you can see a young Prince Henri (now Grand Duke Henri) with his sister Princess Marie Astrid. I'm assuming it is him as he looks remarkedly like Prince Sebastian!
I believe a 5 yr old Prince Phillipe is also there. Prince Gabriel is very like his father

[QUEENECE29]

thanks for all photos, funeral is rather splendid.
Fabiola, Albert and Paola very young

[maria-olivia]

Prince Charles did not assist his mother's funeral ??
Or he did not want or the RF did not want him to be there. What should be his place , on the first row -impossible!
Charles wanted to marry a young lady from the Belgian's gentry; His Brother thee King refused because she was not a royal . Himself married his children's governess , a communor , because she was pregnant !

[grandlordbenji16]

i have seen the video of the funeral and it was quite touching you see grand duchess josephine charlotte and princess of liege ( queen paola) in deep mourning veil and it was fit for a queen