Princess Esmaeralda has written a new book on her father, "Carnets de Voyage, 1919-1983", it's about his many travels abroad. When he was prince, but certainly also after his abdication, Leopold III travelled all over the world, mostly in the jungle, and kept diaries. This publication has exerpts of those diaries.
Esmeralda presented the book a few days ago in Brussels.
Well, it may have something to do with having watched a bunch of Star Trek Voyager episodes recently, but you could just see this lady in charge of a starship. She'd give the Romulan Empire a run for their money!
thanks for this great thread, what a fascinating woman Esmeralda is, I had never even heard of her! (but then again, the whole Begian 'Leopold' chapter is somewhat of a mistery still to me, except for what I've learned reading this great forum!:)
She seems very down to earth and genuine, with a real life with work, children and a nice husband, but there's also something sad or melancholy about her, I can't quite put my finger on it..
She is quite private isnt she? Is she still living in London? She seems to have a nice character, so in that she doesn't take after her mother. I think it was very wise of King Albert II to reconsile with this side of the family, he seems much closer to his half-siblings then the late King Baudouin.
Do you know if she and her brother Alexandre are in touch with their strange sister Marie-Christine?
She is quite private isnt she? Is she still living in London? She seems to have a nice character, so in that she doesn't take after her mother. I think it was very wise of King Albert II to reconsile with this side of the family, he seems much closer to his half-siblings then the late King Baudouin.
Do you know if she and her brother Alexandre are in touch with their strange sister Marie-Christine?
Yes, she's very private. She attends important events in the RF (weddings etc.) but that's about it. She got some media attention when her books got published or when she baptized a rose named after her, but most people in Belgium have never heard of her.
While the contact was broken between Astrid's children and Leopold & Lilian, they never had a problematic relationship with their half-sister (Esmeralda) and -brother (Alexandre). Even when Marie Christine had "escaped" to Canada, king Baudouin was the only one who still helped her.
Marie Christine doesn't want any contact anymore with anyone from the family.
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