The Snow Princess: Queen Astrid Of Belgium, Part 1

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

photos from ANP

 

[Hannelore]

Astrid & Leopold engaged

 

[Hannelore]

more of Astrid

 

[Hannelore]

paintings of Astrid.

On the first she's in mourning for her father in law, king Albert I. On the second she's pictured with her daughter.

Both portraits are in posession of her daughter, grandduchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxemburg.

 

[pdas1201]

Another beautiful painting of Queen Astrid

 

[Josefine]

1.beautiful astrid
2.photo of Astrid with her autograph
3.Leopold and Astrid on their wedding day

i found the first photo with a better colour

 

[pdas1201]

Queen Astrid

 

[Warren]

A Question

Queen Astrid was born a Princess of Sweden, and therefore Lutheran.

The Belgian Saxe-Coburgs were (are) Roman Catholic.

I cannot recall seeing anything about the arrangements made when she became engaged to Crown Prince Leopold.

Did she convert to Catholicism? If so, this would be a relatively rare example within the European Royal Houses, certainly at such a high level. If she did not convert, did this cause any problems?

Does anyone know what happened?

thanks,
Warren

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

She converted, but only when she felt ready for it herself. I believe it was around 1933 or 1934.

 

[Warren]

Astrid-Leopold marriage

She converted, but only when she felt ready for it herself. I believe it was around 1933 or 1934.

Thanks Catherine. This means she was Lutheran when she married the Crown Prince. Did this marriage require special authorisation from the Vatican?

I am just curious because the situation of a Catholic Crown Prince marrying a Protestant Princess is fairly unusual, and I was wondering if there may have been some debate on this at the time (1926). I would imagine that some strict traditionalists would not have been happy.

I remember reading in a "Royalty Digest" magazine article (last year?) that some members of the Bourbon Parma family refused to attend the wedding of Princess Anne to King Michael of Romania in 1948 because he was Orthodox, and they weren't impressed that she was marrying a non-Roman Catholic (although her mother was Danish Princess Margrethe).

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Thanks Catherine. This means she was Lutheran when she married the Crown Prince. Did this marriage require special authorisation from the Vatican?

I am just curious because the situation of a Catholic Crown Prince marrying a Protestant Princess is fairly unusual, and I was wondering if there may have been some debate on this at the time (1926). I would imagine that some strict traditionalists would not have been happy.

I remember reading in a "Royalty Digest" magazine article (last year?) that some members of the Bourbon Parma family refused to attend the wedding of Princess Anne to King Michael of Romania in 1948 because he was Orthodox, and they weren't impressed that she was marrying a non-Roman Catholic (although her mother was Danish Princess Margrethe).

No, it didn't require a special authorisation, she just had to promise that her children would be raised as roman catholics, and that -when she felt ready for it- she would convert as well.

BTW the first king of the Belgians, Leopold I was a lutheran who never converted to catholicism!

 

[Warren]

Catherine, thanks again.

W

 

[Jim]

I seen the pictures of Queen Astrid on her bier on this thread. Does anyone have pictures of her actual funeral? Thanks

 

[elenaris]

here is a link with photos of the funeral

http://www.cegesoma.be/pls/opac/plsp.getplsdoc?rn=2763&lan=F&htdoc=general/opac_dsc.htm

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Leopold and Astrid in Gent (1928)

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

queen Astrid with her two eldest children

 

[Nathalian]

Sorry...but why the title for Queen Astrid as "The Snow Princess"?

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

The Belgians (and the papers) called her the snow princess (la princesse des neiges) when she first arrived in Belgium because she came from Scandinavia and was completely dressed in white.

 

[Nathalian]

Thanks Catherine!!!

 

[elenaris]

I realy love this picture!!!

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

At the silver wedding of king Christian X and queen Alexandrine of Denmark in 1923

Astrid is at the second row the 6th from left.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid and Léopold in 1930, at the wedding of Léopold's sister Marie José with crownprince Umberto of Italy.

Astrid was expecting her second child, prince (later king) Baudouin.

Her best friend, Swedish countess Anna Sparre, wrote :

" The year [1930] started with the marriage of Leopold's sister Marie José. She got married on the 18th of January in Rome.Astrid had ordered her outfit at Belgian fashionhouses. For the wedding she had ordered a gold colored gown with a 4 meter long train, set off with gold colored lace, that her mama [princess Ingeborg of Denmark] wore when she came to Sweden as a newly married woman in 1897. And it was very chic.Astrid also talked about her pretty cream colored veil, that the city Bruges had given her as a wedding present, and the matching gloves. The wedding festivities lasted 6 days."

Anna Sparre. La reine Astrid. Mon amie à moi.Ed. Luc Pire, 1986

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

A picture of Anna Sparre's book :

 

[Hannelore]

all the following are from ACI

 

[Hannelore]

1. the car that killed her
2. her body being put into a coffin

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

engagement photo of Leopold and Astrid, taken in Sweden, 1926

 

[Hannelore]

More photos of our so beloved queen Astrid.

 

[Hannelore]

This one really shows her beauty (and her kind heart IMO)

 

[Hannelore]

All the followng are from Cegesoma

1. Leopold and Astrid in Antwerp, greeting the bishop after mass.

 

[Hannelore]

more photos and paintings