The Snow Princess: Queen Astrid Of Belgium, Part 1

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

queen Astrid and her youngest son, Albert.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid with Joe-Joe and Bobo (as they were called at home)

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

On 29th August 1935 queen Astrid of the Belgians dies in a car accident near Küssnacht, in Switzerland.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Army soldiers march through the streets at queen Astrid's funeral, September 1935.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU017440.jpg?...9-46a6e0bcb3a9}

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

With her first son, Baudouin, 1930.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/0000355642-01...9-3335c364adab}

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

with her second son, Albert, the present king of the Belgians.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/0000355642-01...f-8005b99cbc77}

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

With her 3 children, 1934

http://pro.corbis.com/images/0000355642-01...b-4fa0f9bfa0c2}

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

At her very first arrival in Belgium, November 1926. Astrid kissing her fiancé Leopold.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

1985, 50 years after her death, King Baudouin, his brother prince Albert (with his wife princess Paola), and his sister grand duchess Josephine-Charlotte pay an official visit to the place where their mother died.

 

[USCtrojan]

From the photo above, is that a photo of a monument to her or photo of her grave site in Switzerland? Or was she buried in Belgium in the family plot with the rest of the Kings and Queens?

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

She was burried in Belgium (in the royal crypt with the rest of the belgian RF), but on the place where she died, Küssnacht in Switzerland, there's a monument and a chapel.

 

[USCtrojan]

What a beautiful memorial to remember such a beautiful woman. Thank You Catherine for your info and help.

Chanel

 

[Josefine]

thank you for the many pictures

 

[EtienneDuchessofBurgundy]

Amazing pictures. Thanks for posting. :flower:

 

[solangedebn]

Yes, thank you for the beautiful pictures. How very tragic for Queen Astrid and King Léopold. Did the king die shortly thereafter? I don't remember?

 

[sara1981]

me neither!

i cant remind about King and Queen Astrid and Leopard both died long times ago! what years both died ?

Sara Boyce

 

[kristinvu]

King Leopold died only in 1983.
He married Lilian Baels after the death of Astrid, remember.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid with Joséphine-Charlotte and Baudouin, 1935.

 

[Martine]

did anyone else see the interview with Joshephine-Charlotte today?

I thought it was a bit freaky.

josephine-charlotte told how she one day found a grey hair in her mother's hair and that she said:"Now you have to die mumy" and that was just a few days before astrid's dead... Really strange...

(Joshephine-charlotte didn't remember saying that i think , she knows it from a letter that astrid send to her mother Ingeborg)

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Leopold and Astrid on wintersport

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid received a doll for her daughter

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

on their wedding day

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Astrid with her two oldest children.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

1933, at the wedding of Prince Knud, second son of King Christian of Denmark, and Princess Caroline-Mathilde. Astrid is standing on the first row, completely on the right, next to her mother Ingeborg and her sister Märtha.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/SF37273.jpg?s...d-652619166d3b}

 

[martha-louise]

King Leopold had, what you can say, a tragic life with high tops and deep downs.
In 1926 he married with the snowprincess. Astrid told a friend at the householdschool that she had met a prince. One day she asked her friend if she wanted to cut the onion because Astrid didn't want that her hands would smell.
A while later she said to her friend that the leopold was in love with her and astrid asked what to do. her friend asked: "But do you love him" Astrid told that she was terrible in love with this very hansom man. "So go and marry him!" her friend said.
a little anekdote I heard ones on tv
i think it was the first marriage of a crownprince with a couple that was really in love.
1930 crownprince Baldouin was born, juin 1934 prince Albert cried for the first time. They were a happy family with 3 kids, the crisis of the early '30 was fading away, there was place for happiness.
But in the same year, king Albert felt of the rocks in Marches-les-Dammes, some critics doubt if it was really an accedent...
Suddenly Astrid and Leopold had to become king and queen, unfortunaly not foro long. the royal couple was very loved by their people.
1935 another terrible accident, Astrid dies in a car-crash in Küssnacht in Switserland.
Joséphine-Charlotte, prince Baudouin andPrince Albert who is only one year old lose their mother.
May 10th of 1940, after the attact at Poland and the memorable attack at Pearl Harbour, their is also an attack on Belgian.
For 18 days Belgian soldiers were fighting against the troups of Hitler.
But 28 of may, king leopold does something he will regrett, he signs the capitulation of Belgian without permission of the gouvernment. The gouvernment goes abroad, Leopold stays at the palace in Laken.
The lonely man as a prisonner who wanted to defend the belgian soldiers, was quit popular.
But Leopold wasn't so lonely, he felt in love with lilian baels.
the belgians were mad about that, more and more of them were againt the attitude of Leopold III. Also the gouvernment, that was the Royal Question.
I think the rest of the story is known by the most of you.

bye, martha-louise

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Originally posted by martha-louise@Dec 12th, 2003 - 11:48 am

i think it was the first marriage of a crownprince with a couple that was really in love.

Albert I and Elisabeth (Leopold III 's parents) were also very in love with each other.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Queen Astrid as a little girl.

 

[Hannelore]

...

 

[Hannelore]

...

 

[Clamshell]

My name is Astrid... my mom gave me this firstname because she really loved the Queen of Belgium. I could not find a lot of pictures of her... thank you Catherine for all those beautiful pictures, and I know a little bit more about this queen's history... Now I know why my mom loved her! ;o)