Inquiry on the former lovers of Prince Philippe

[Eva-Britt]

I also heard he dated Stephanie de Lalaing. Maybe it's just gossip I don't know..

[marie45se]

Or maybe her family wanted it. Yes her name was Stephanie she was half Swedish. I know it was just a rumour about infanta Cristina.

[Marengo]

Well, I was able to find some information on Phillipe´s lovelife or supposed lovelife... and I might say from an unexpected source: by a book from that horrible Jan van den Berghe that I bought in 1998 (when I didn´t know any better ).

He writes down some ladies that the press say he is dating, but they note that these were just rumours: Princess Elena of Spain, Archduchess Constanza, Archduchess Isabella (Lorenz´s sister), Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, Lady Helen Windsor, Princess Bianca of Savoia-Aosta, Princess Maria of Roumania, Princess Marie-Louise of Baden, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Princess Alexia of Greece, Princess Alexandra of Hannover and Duchess Eleonora Fleur of Wuerttemberg. Just gossips of course.

More serious rumours about this Stephanie de Lalaing, I was wrong about her btw as she denied these rumours in the press immidiately.

There werehowever two more serious candidates, the Italian Fiametta Frescobaldi, daughter of Marques Vittoria Frescobaldi and Marchioness Bona, the rumours started in the Italian press in 1984. Fiametta denied it, she did say that their two mothers were childhood friends.

The next candidate was Dona Adriana Torres de Silva of Spanish nobility. The Prince was photographed with her in Sevilla and Adriana went several times to Belgium where she stayed with the Counts de Brouchove de Bergeyck (now that is a last name that sounds familiar at these forums ). But the Brouchove family denied these rumours and said that Adriana was friends with their daughter Eleonore. It would have been too good to be true anyway as Adriana is also related to Queen Fabiola.

---

I was mixing Stephanie de Lalaing with another woman. Apparently it was Sigrid van Erp who ´promoted´ herself as the girlfriend of Filips. Sigrid was editor in chief of the magazine ´Made in Brussels´, her claim was completely ludecrace though.

[Al_bina]

Looking at the list of supposed love interests of Crown Prince Phillipe, it seems that he was very particular about choosing a spouse from an appropriate social class.

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

Looking at the list of supposed love interests of Crown Prince Phillipe, it seems that he was very particular about choosing a spouse from an appropriate social class.

I agree. I think there is/was subtle pressure on all of them(Astrid, Philippe and Laurent) to marry "well". I read that the late King Baudouin was thrilled with Astrid and Archduke Lorenz and gave the greenlight to the union. Paola and Albert felt that their only daughter was too young to marry when she first met Lorenz but Baudouin had a real horror of what was happening in other Royal European dynasties, with the Princesses marrying below their rank, and he wanted to strike while the iron was hot, I guess.

I am betting the same thing will happen with the younger generation when they start to become of an age to marry. The BRF is probably the last Royal House in Europe that still marries almost exclusively within the aristocracy.

[Al_bina]

It is not bad to strictly adhere to some traditions. Let us hope that there will be eligible spouses for the younger generation.

[flcty]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaDreamin

I agree. I think there is/was subtle pressure on all of them(Astrid, Philippe and Laurent) to marry "well". I read that the late King Baudouin was thrilled with Astrid and Archduke Lorenz and gave the greenlight to the union. Paola and Albert felt that their only daughter was too young to marry when she first met Lorenz but Baudouin had a real horror of what was happening in other Royal European dynasties, with the Princesses marrying below their rank, and he wanted to strike while the iron was hot, I guess.

I know this is going a bit off topic...Didn't know where to post this...sorry ...
-Does anyone how Astrid felt, was Lorenz the only boyfriend she had? Like I mean she seems to really love the job of being a mother, wife of a banker, and regular princess duties. Not trying to stir up anything.
-What was the belgian attitude towards their engagement announcement?
-Makes you view King Albert and Queen Poala in a new light...really modern...cared for the well being and happiness of their kids first over the familiy's 'social status'.
-Wonder why they [Albert and Poala] gave in? Did Baudouin threaten Albert, that he would be taken out of the line of succession?

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, I was able to find some information on Phillipe´s lovelife or supposed lovelife... and I might say from an unexpected source: by a book from that horrible Jan van den Berghe that I bought in 1998 (when I didn´t know any better ).

He writes down some ladies that the press say he is dating, but they note that these were just rumours: Princess Elena of Spain, Archduchess Constanza, Archduchess Isabella (Lorenz´s sister), Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, Lady Helen Windsor, Princess Bianca of Savoia-Aosta, Princess Maria of Roumania, Princess Marie-Louise of Baden, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Princess Alexia of Greece, Princess Alexandra of Hannover and Duchess Eleonora Fleur of Wuerttemberg. Just gossips of course.

More serious rumours about this Stephanie de Lalaing, I was wrong about her btw as she denied these rumours in the press immidiately.

There werehowever two more serious candidates, the Italian Fiametta Frescobaldi, daughter of Marques Vittoria Frescobaldi and Marchioness Bona, the rumours started in the Italian press in 1984. Fiametta denied it, she did say that their two mothers were childhood friends.

The next candidate was Dona Adriana Torres de Silva of Spanish nobility. The Prince was photographed with her in Sevilla and Adriana went several times to Belgium where she stayed with the Counts de Brouchove de Bergeyck (now that is a last name that sounds familiar at these forums ). But the Brouchove family denied these rumours and said that Adriana was friends with their daughter Eleonore. It would have been too good to be true anyway as Adriana is also related to Queen Fabiola.

---

I was mixing Stephanie de Lalaing with another woman. Apparently it was Sigrid van Erp who ´promoted´ herself as the girlfriend of Filips. Sigrid was editor in chief of the magazine ´Made in Brussels´, her claim was completely ludecrace though.

I agree that most of these rumored girlfriends were just a shortlist of the most elegible (sp?) women-peers of the time.

There's definitely a weird dichotomy here in terms of years and no known love..kindof like Friso of the Netherlands.

I suspect that in the case of Felipe there's some intriguing love story there we'll never know about but that was in the category of romeo and juliet..something akin of perhaps him being madly in love with either a woman of a different religion, different generation, a married lady, or simply somone from 'le peuple' and thus unsuitable..

As lovely as Mathilde is, she may well not be the love of his life..or maybe he's just the shy type who simply never had the guts to follow his heart of hearts....then again, who cares, as Mathilde's clearly one of the best things that's happened to him. wouldn't be surprised if he'd got onto the throne solely because of her, as the Belgians aren't seemingly too enamored with him. But she's definitely an asset as far as I can tell these things.

[Regina]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaDreamin

The BRF is probably the last Royal House in Europe that still marries almost exclusively within the aristocracy.

True! That's why I like this royal family so much

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Originally Posted by Regina

True! That's why I like this royal family so much

Same here. Like I read somewhere else, I don't necessarily want my mailman's daughter as my Crown Princess.

Marriage to commoners is fine every once in awhile, but I am always going to prefer the REAL THING.

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Originally Posted by flcty

I know this is going a bit off topic...Didn't know where to post this...sorry ...
-Does anyone how Astrid felt, was Lorenz the only boyfriend she had? Like I mean she seems to really love the job of being a mother, wife of a banker, and regular princess duties. Not trying to stir up anything.
-What was the belgian attitude towards their engagement announcement?
-Makes you view King Albert and Queen Poala in a new light...really modern...cared for the well being and happiness of their kids first over the familiy's 'social status'.
-Wonder why they [Albert and Poala] gave in? Did Baudouin threaten Albert, that he would be taken out of the line of succession?

According to the article I read(a Belgian periodical that was written in French) the Princess had led a very sheltered life within the BRF when she met the Archduke at her 18th birthday ball which was held at Laeken Palace. I don't know if he was her first serious boyfriend but I am willing to bet he probably was. Albert and Paola didn't have anything against Lorenz but they insisted that the couple delay the engagement for a few years, and rightfully so. For Astrid it was love at first sight, and she was determined to marry Lorenz.
Once Baudouin gave his approval it was only a matter of time anyway. Baudouin and Fabiola adored Astrid and were undoubtedly delighted with her choice.

No I don't think Baudouin "threatened" Albert at all. From what I have read about their relationship, Baudouin loved his younger brother deeply and always excused or ignored his scandals, and Albert loved and admired Baudouin and was unswervingly loyal to him. It was probably simply a matter of Baudouin persuading Albert and Paola to let Astrid and Lorenz marry.

[EmpressRouge]

For a long time, before Philippe married, it seemed like Astrid and her children would inherit the Belgian throne.

The Belgian royal family was probably one of the strictest on the marrying fellow royals/high nobility. By 20th century, even the 19th century, arranged marriages among royals were very rare. Granted Royal-commoner marriages were rare too, but the Belgians seemed to practice arranged marriage well into the 20th century e.g. Marie-Jose and the future Umberto II of Italy, and Josephine-Charlotte and the future Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (they say she was in love w/ a tennis player at the time of her marriage).

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Originally Posted by EmpressRouge

For a long time, before Philippe married, it seemed like Astrid and her children would inherit the Belgian throne.

The Belgian royal family was probably one of the strictest on the marrying fellow royals/high nobility. By 20th century, even the 19th century, arranged marriages among royals were very rare. Granted Royal-commoner marriages were rare too, but the Belgians seemed to practice arranged marriage well into the 20th century e.g. Marie-Jose and the future Umberto II of Italy, and Josephine-Charlotte and the future Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (they say she was in love w/ a tennis player at the time of her marriage).

Exactly. I think if Philippe and Mathilde had been married at the time of King Baudouin's death, there would not have been as much opposition to the idea of his assuming the Throne.

Prince Albert and King Baudouin just happened to fall in love with and marry noblewomen
but I can't imagine either of them marrying a commoner, especially not Baudouin.

As luck would have it Philippe, like so many members of the Belgian RF, has been extraordinarily fortunate in marriage. He and Mathilde seem perfect for one another, I can't imagine that he has any reqrets about any past loves.