The Snow Princess: Queen Astrid of Belgium, Part 2


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C'est du Belge, the royalty program of the Belgian TV channel (french speaking) dedicated a piece of this weeks program to Queen Astrid
Regardez en vidéo les émissions de La Une
It begins around 28:30

fredspal said:
Hi All,

I'm writing a novel based on Astrid for an English assignment, it has to be around 20-25,000 words. It is set when she was between the ages of 15 and 21 years. My questions include:
-Where did she live as a child
-When did she meet Leopold
-What languages did she speak
-How old was she when she met Leopold.

Thank you soooooo much!!:flowers:
Click to expand...

She lived in Sweden in Stockholm and in Fridhem. Fridhem is now a business center I believe (google it, you'll certainly find it).
She and Leopold met at some balls in the autumn of 1925 and then again in spring 1926 in Sweden when Queen Elisabeth and her son were holidaying there.
She was born in 1905 so she was 21 years old.
She spoke swedish and english when they met and they spoke english together.
She learned first French then Dutch after her marriage.
 
princessshacha said:
Could Astrid speak French and Dutch?? How could she communicate with people otherwise? English perheps?:flowers:
Click to expand...

She learned Dutch here in Belgium and she didn't found it hard to learn it.
With te French language she had problems, She didn't spoke it often.
In the beginning she spoke with Leopold English.
 
Queen Astrid was killed in a motor accident 75 years ago on the 29th august 1935. Her son King Albert II (who was only one at the time of his mothers death) attended a service at the scene of the accident at kussnacht Switzerland to commemorate the event........

YouTube - Queen Astrid, 75 Years(English Subtitles)
 
What a lovely, enchanting woman she seems to have been! I can only imagine the trauma the accident cast over her family and the Belgians..I was very moved just watching that video.

I wish I could find an English biography of her....
 
MissP said:
Isn't there a resemblance to Mathilde in this pic? I know they're not related but something in the face and deportment.......
Click to expand...

I can see a slight resemblance too. However, there’s a stronger resemblance between Queen Astrid and Princess Elisabeth imo. It’s especially obvious while looking at childhood pictures of Astrid. And Elisabeth is also looking a bit like her great-aunt GD Josephine-Charlotte in her childhood days.
 
Hello everyone. I came across a remarkable memorial tribute by Astrid's parents talking about the loss of their daughter, particularly in relation to Leopold being the driver. I haven't seen this around here and I hope it's not a re-post. Happy weekend. :flowers:

''When we, Queen Astrid's parents, accompanied our daughter, as your Kings wife, to her new home, nearly nine years ago; her father said that we could leave our beloved child to her husband and to the Belgium people, with joy and entire confidence.

This confidence has never for a single moment been betrayed. Much more, from the moment our dear Astrid set foot on Belgium soil, the whole nation has surrounded her with a love which grew in strength and warmth with the years passed.

Nobody better than us, her parents, know that the people's love and confidence in her desire to give herself entirely to her new country, gave her strength and made her happiness as wife and mother complete, and nobody knows better than us that this happiness remained clear and lasting.

Nobody will wonder therefore that we should consider it a dear duty to bring the Belgian people our deep and heartful thanks for the love which they always surrounded our beloved daughter.

Your dead queen from her Nordic home, loved Belgium. The love of the nation found an echo in her warm young heart. Great is our sorrow, but greater still is our sympathy for your young king and his little children, and our gratitude to him for everything he was for her, and for the great happiness he gave her.

Carl & Ingeborg (signatures)''​

Found a lovely picture of Astrid and her mother, Ingeborg
http://lostsplendor.tumblr.com/image/1060367879
 
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:previous:
Very very touching....
thank you for posting this!
 
"The Royal Wedding. Stockholm en fete as Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid, after their civil marriage, drive through illuminated streets en route for Belgium".

Sweden.
Night shot of horse and carriage passing crowds. The crowds stand beneath large portrait of Princess Astrid of Sweden (later Queen Astrid of Belgium) and Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium (later King Leopold). Guards on horseback and the Royal Carriage containing happy couple then pass crowds. More guards and carriages follow.

M/S of Astrid and Leopold walking, with arms linked, passed regiment of soldiers. A crowd of dignitaries follow them.

Intertitle reads: "... a rapturous reception awaited the happy couple when they met again at Antwerp".

Various shots of ship docking in Belgium. We see Astrid and Leopold embrace and kiss on gangplank. M/S of the newly weds. M/S of the couple in carriage coming down crowd lined streets, Astrid waves at camera.

Intertitle reads: "Thousands of schoolchildren dance in honour of Prince Leopold and his 'Bride of the Snows'."

L/S of happy couple and Belgian Royal Family waving from balcony on palace / cathedral. Lots of children dance in front of palace.

Intertitle reads: "Cheering crowds throng streets of Belgian Capital to greet their future King and Queen".

Various shots of Princess Astrid of Sweden (later Queen Astrid of Belgium), in bridal wear, walking up steps to cathedral. Large crowds wait outside. The couple come out of cathedral and walk under raised swords of guard of honour. They are driven away in horse drawn carriage, we see them waving at crowds on streets. C/U of Princess Astrid, pan to C/U of Crown Prince Leopold (later King Leopold of Belgium).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28WxHUlbPy8
 
Lovely to see these films.... she was really adored by her people, I remember my grandmother several decades after Astrid's death, still crying when she was talking about her
 
Look at the masses outside the cathedral... I hope no-one got trampled!
 
Is there any book about her in ENGLISH? I am dying looking for one :'(
 
She seems to have been such a lovely, radiant presence. I don't think I have ever once read about any one who remembered a bad experience with her.

I too wish there was a good English biography of "the Snow Princess".
 
It was unsual a Nordic Princess marrying a Belgian Prince .
Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte remain the link between the two Royal Houses.
 
Today in Royal History is the 84th Death Anniversary of Queen Astrid of the Belgians born Princess Astrid of Sweden, daughter of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. She is the younger sister of Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway.
 
Such a beautiful and likeable Lady ! I remember in 1977 my grandmother was still unable to pronounce her name without crying. She was very much loved. And my grandmother was repeating countless times "he (Léopold) killed her".
I Always thought it was a hidden cause of the question royale which occured afterwards.
 
episcogal said:
Hello everyone. I came across a remarkable memorial tribute by Astrid's parents talking about the loss of their daughter, particularly in relation to Leopold being the driver. I haven't seen this around here and I hope it's not a re-post. Happy weekend. :flowers:

''When we, Queen Astrid's parents, accompanied our daughter, as your Kings wife, to her new home, nearly nine years ago; her father said that we could leave our beloved child to her husband and to the Belgium people, with joy and entire confidence.

This confidence has never for a single moment been betrayed. Much more, from the moment our dear Astrid set foot on Belgium soil, the whole nation has surrounded her with a love which grew in strength and warmth with the years passed.

Nobody better than us, her parents, know that the people's love and confidence in her desire to give herself entirely to her new country, gave her strength and made her happiness as wife and mother complete, and nobody knows better than us that this happiness remained clear and lasting.

Nobody will wonder therefore that we should consider it a dear duty to bring the Belgian people our deep and heartful thanks for the love which they always surrounded our beloved daughter.

Your dead queen from her Nordic home, loved Belgium. The love of the nation found an echo in her warm young heart. Great is our sorrow, but greater still is our sympathy for your young king and his little children, and our gratitude to him for everything he was for her, and for the great happiness he gave her.

Carl & Ingeborg (signatures)''​
Click to expand...

What a moving and loving statement from her parents.


cdm said:
C'est du Belge, the royalty program of the Belgian TV channel (french speaking) dedicated a piece of this weeks program to Queen Astrid
Regardez en vidéo les émissions de La Une
It begins around 28:30



She lived in Sweden in Stockholm and in Fridhem. Fridhem is now a business center I believe (google it, you'll certainly find it).
She and Leopold met at some balls in the autumn of 1925 and then again in spring 1926 in Sweden when Queen Elisabeth and her son were holidaying there.
She was born in 1905 so she was 21 years old.
She spoke swedish and english when they met and they spoke english together.
She learned first French then Dutch after her marriage.
Click to expand...

Deezy said:
She learned Dutch here in Belgium and she didn't found it hard to learn it.
With te French language she had problems, She didn't spoke it often.
In the beginning she spoke with Leopold English.
Click to expand...

Was she unable to speak Danish, her mother's language?
 
rominet09 said:
Such a beautiful and likeable Lady ! I remember in 1977 my grandmother was still unable to pronounce her name without crying. She was very much loved. And my grandmother was repeating countless times "he (Léopold) killed her".
I Always thought it was a hidden cause of the question royale which occured afterwards.
Click to expand...

This only goes to show how well-loved she was. Your grandmother must have been greatly traumatized.:sad:
 
rominet09 said:
Such a beautiful and likeable Lady ! I remember in 1977 my grandmother was still unable to pronounce her name without crying. She was very much loved. And my grandmother was repeating countless times "he (Léopold) killed her".
I Always thought it was a hidden cause of the question royale which occured afterwards.
Click to expand...

I think Leopold was driving very recklessly, as he was known to do and as he continued to do for much of the rest of his life.:ermm:
 
Moonmaiden23 said:
I think Leopold was driving very recklessly, as he was known to do and as he continued to do for much of the rest of his life.:ermm:
Click to expand...

This is your own interpretation.

According to reports the following happened:
Leopold was at the wheel while Astrid was holding a map. When Astrid pointed out something on the map, Leopold leaned over to look at it and took his eyes off the road. The car hit a large rock lining the road and got off the road, sliding down the slope towards the lake. Leopold lost control over the car and Astrid was flung out off it, landing with her head against a tree. She was killed instantly.
 
 
I think it was just an accident. If they hadn't been riding in an open car or had seatbelts, they probably would have both been fine.

Leopold bore the guilt and responsibility for the rest of his life and it was convenient for people to say he killed her, but that's only because he ended up hated for other things and Astrid could do no wrong, not because it bears any relationship to what actually happened.

Apparently he said to a priest shortly afterwards, "Why would God take her from me? We were so happy..."

(And that the wound on her head was in the same place as his father's...)

(And after WWII, "Oh, if only Astrid were still alive. Everything would have been so different...")

Those aren't the words of a man who intended to harm one hair on his wife's head. At the same time, he was a deeply agonized and openly anguished man who yet never said "I shouldn't have done this" or "I shouldn't have done that". The only conclusion is... it was a freak accident, like what happened to his father. Would he really keep driving recklessly if that had been what had killed Astrid?
 
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Yes I often think what if queen Astrid had lived longer,what an awful tragedy.
 
Yes indeed she was a beautiful Pss of Sweden and Queen of Belgium. Also mother of a GDss of Luxemburg, Queen consort of Norway and a King of Belgium. I also read in some article that the Belgian people loved her a lot. Very very sad what happen to her.
 
REAL COUNTESS said:
Yes indeed she was a beautiful Pss of Sweden and Queen of Belgium. Also mother of a GDss of Luxemburg, Queen consort of Norway and a King of Belgium. I also read in some article that the Belgian people loved her a lot. Very very sad what happen to her.
Click to expand...
Queen consort of Norway? Aren't you mistaking for her sister Martha? Astrid was indeed mother of a Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and two Kings of the Belgians. But she was the sister of the Queen consort of Norway, married to Olav. Martha's death was also tragic.
 
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kathia_sophia said:
Queen consort of Norway? Aren't you mistaking for her sister Martha? Astris was indeed mother of a Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and two Kings of Belgium. But she was the sister of the Queen consort of Norway, married to Olav. Martha's death was also tragic.
Click to expand...

Crown Princess Märtha was never the Queen Consort of Norway; she sadly died prematurely like her sister (in her case from liver failure). Unlike Astrid, she was crown princess for 25 years but never a queen.

Apparently she never really got over Astrid's death, either, and had a very hard time believing her sister was gone.

She always looked at her kids like they were the best thing in the world... :rose2::rose2::rose2:

It's hard not to love her...

...when she was literally a Disney princess.

And a beautiful, beautiful Queen.
 
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