Princess Astrid & Prince Lorenz - Current Events part 2

[Jang]

are archduke lorenz and archduke carl christain of austria brothers?

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Originally Posted by Jang

are archduke lorenz and archduke carl christain of austria brothers?

No, they're cousins. their fathers were brothers.

[Jang]

thanks catherine

[GrandDuchess]

Today Princess Astrid (looking smashing and shining as always) was in the city of Mons, where she visited a refuge house for women who are victims of domestic violence. A selection of the pictures from Face to Face

[Hannelore]

Thanks for the pics grandduchess.

I was watching Place Royale yesterday and there was an item on this vist Astrid made. After her speech on poverty in Belgium in the senate a few weeks ago, she seems to plan to make various visits to projects trying to help people in difficult financial situations all over Belgium (a least I think so, I was also ironing and trying to prevent my kids from pulling each other's hair out).

Astrid is really a very nice woman. She visited a daycare center for woman who normally can't afford one and started to distribute glasses of milk to the kids. She wasn't asked to do it, she just saw the tray and started helping. That's typical for her, a nice simple gesture that means a lot.

[Hannelore]

8 November 2005. Princess Astrid meets beneficiaries or persons involved in poverty fighting initiatives in the Hainaut province of Hainaut, Belgium.

Pics : picturedesk

[Emily]

Catherine! I have missed your posts -- thank you for the photos. I think she is such a beautiful and "real" woman. Lovely pictures.

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

The text that went with the pictures:

GLAMOURPRINCESS

Impression: now showy hairdoes, no heavy make-up, no spectacular dresses, yet mama Paola was celebrated and renowned as one of the best dressed princesses and (later) queens of Europe.
We lost Astrid completely out of sight when she married (in 1984) archduke Lorenz, who'll be celebrating his 50th birthday next month. One of the courses she had followed at university was art history. She followed her husband to Bazel (Switzerland), where he worked at the bank of his parents. But for the births of her children she returned each time to Brussels. She was to have 5 of them : Amedeo (19) who's studying in England, Maria Laura (17), Joachim (13), Luisa Maria (10) and finally Laetitia Maria (2).

A GIFT FROM HEAVEN

Astrid was well in the picture again when she and her family changed Switzerland for Brussels again. She got more royal duties, always in the social atmosphere - perfect for her: if she wouldn't have been a princess, she'd have opted for a job in nursing. After her father became king, she succeeded him as honorary chairman of the Belgian Red Cross. That was a gift from heaven, although Astrid isn't a woman like the late Diana, who caused a lot of fuss visiting catastrophe areas. Our princess often makes studytrips, but most of all loves to work behind the scenes. She keeps a close track of her files and is present at meetings of the Red Cross in her own country and at the HQ in Geneva, and she never fails to encourage the volunteers that this organization needs so badly.

Astrid is also the chairman of the queen Elisabeth Foundation, that does cancer research in Europe, and uses her enthusiasm in the battle against aids, poverty and other problems of our society. Just like her brothers she has a seat in the senate and she's a colonel in the medical service of the army.

The princess is a busy modern woman with a large family. She's still very modest but has gained a lot of self confidence the past 10 years. Just like her mother she oozes royal glamour in these photos.

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

2 more beautiful photos from the Portuguese state visit to Belgium. From Story.

[hillary_nugent]

I've never really taken notice of her tiara but now that i do it's gorgeous!!! =) and i've never seen that sash before...anyone know what it means?

[purple_platinum]

My goodness.. she looks fairly young. never would have guessed she had 5 children already...

[pdas1201]

Thanks Catherine for posting the most wonderful pictures of Princess Astrid. I echo the sentiment, that she doesn't look like a mother of five. Wow!!! I wish I will be like that in my 40's with five children (of course I am not planning on having that many )

[Maxie]

Astrid really looks brilliant and very youthful! I love her dress and that's one pretty tiara! :)

[Alisa]

The photos of Astrid are absolutely gorgeous. Simple but very elegant..A nice kind of glamour. Thanks again Cathérine :)

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid when she was younger (paris match, point de vue)

[Sancia]

I know it was the eighties, but she was definitely not that tasteful.

[fanletizia]

SAI et R l'Archiduc Lorenz d'AUTRICHE-ESTE, Prince de Belgique 12/11/2005. Versailles bishop His Grace Eric Aumonier blesses the statue of Saint Louis created by Catherine Cairn, as it unveiled in Saint Louis Cathedrale, Versailles during a messe for the canonization of the Emperor Karl I of Austria, in Versailles, France,20051211

from newscom

[Sancia]

The mass wasn't for the canonization of Emperor Karl, who's been beatified recently.

[auntie]

It's funny, even though she looks like her mother, there is something from her Father in her, esp. in her younger years, where she had her mom's features, but no chic or self confidece of her mother. I must admit her taste has greatly improved since the 80's!

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...9&d=1134406081

Here you can see Lorenz with prince Eudes d'Orléans and his wife Marie Liesse de Rohan Chabot.