Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Princess Astrid of Belgium
Archduchess of Austria-Este
Princess Astrid making an address in Laos in 2009
Born (1962-06-05) 5 June 1962
Belvédère Castle, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Spouse
Issue Prince Amedeo, Hereditary Archduke of Austria-Este
Princess Maria Laura
Prince Joachim
Princess Luisa Maria
Princess Laetitia Maria
Full name
Astrid Joséphine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie
House Belgium
Father Albert II of the Belgians
Mother Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Religion Roman Catholic
Austrian imperial family

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and only daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and is fifth in line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Biography

Princess Astrid was born one day before her father's 28th birthday at the Château de Belvédère, near Laeken, and was named after her late paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden, the popular first wife of King Leopold III. Her godparents were her uncle Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, 7th Duke di Guardia Lombarda, and her aunt Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Marriage and issue

Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, subsequently head of the Archducal House of Austria-Este, on 22 September 1984 at Brussels.[1][2] Lorenz is the eldest son of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915–1996), and his wife Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (born in 1930).[2] Her husband was also created Prince of Belgium by Royal Decree on 27 November 1995.[2]

Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children, who bear the title "Prince/Princess of Belgium" (in each of the three official languages) as members of the Belgian royal family and Archduke/Archduchess of Austria:[1][2]

Astrid is also godmother to Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria, Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg and Prince Gaston of Orléans.

Royal role

Astrid was formerly President of the Belgian Red Cross,[2] a position which ended on 31 December 2007. She declined to stand again for election to the role in light of internal struggles in the organisation in reconciling its French-speaking and Flemish branches, each of which seeks greater autonomy. The princess is also a colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. Her official residence is the Royal Castle of Laeken on the edge of Brussels.[2]

She is a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee.[3]

Princess Astrid has been for many years a fierce advocate for landmine survivors rights, participating actively in the work of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, since Belgium joined in 1998. In 2013, the Princess was named Special Envoy of the Convention,[4] and has promoted the acceptance of a global ban on landmines and promoted the rights of survivors in various UN meetings.[4][5][6]

Titles, styles and honours

Styles of
Princess Astrid,
Archduchess of Austria-Este
Reference style Her Imperial and Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Imperial and Royal Highness
Alternative style Ma'am

Titles

  • 5 June 1962 – 22 September 1984: Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium
  • 22 September 1984 – present: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este[note 1]

Honours

National Honours

Foreign Honours

Awards

Other

2016 : honorary mayor and The Hidalgo Award of San Antonio.[25]

Arms

Ranks

19972003

Ancestry

Note

  1. ↑ She has held the title "Princess of Belgium" from birth under Belgian law. By marriage to an archduke of the house of Austria-Este, she gained, in addition to her native title, the style "Imperial and Royal Highness" and the title "Archduchess of Austria-Este". Upon her husband's succeeding to the headship of his house in 1996, as wife of the Archduke of Austria-Este, internationally or depending on the situation, she is also accorded the traditional title "Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Archduchess of Austria-Este" or, more formally, reflecting both her native and marital titles, is addressed as HI&RH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este. Her children by Archduke Lorenz bear the titles "Prince(ss) of Belgium" by Belgian decree of 2 December 1991, in addition to their Austrian titles borne by tradition, "Archduke/Archduchess of Austria".

References

  1. 1 2 Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 44-45,50. French
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Furstlicher Hauser Bande XVI, C.A. Starke Verlag, Haus Osterreich, Limburg, 2001, pp. 91–92. German
  3. ↑ "Honorary Board". IPC.
  4. 1 2 "AP Mine Ban Convention: Special envoy Princess Astrid of Belgium welcomes Oman's decision to join the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention". www.apminebanconvention.org.
  5. ↑ "AP Mine Ban Convention: Princess Astrid of Belgium calls for greater assistance to landmine survivors". www.apminebanconvention.org.
  6. ↑ "Maputo Summit: 3rd Review Conference". www.maputoreviewconference.org.
  7. ↑ "Photo". c7.alamy.com.
  8. ↑ "Royal Wedding Of Prince Frederik And Mary Donaldson, Arrivals At The Cathedral In Copenhagen, Denmark On May 14, 2004".
  9. ↑ "Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium attend the Te Deum mass, on Belgian National Day, at the Sint-Salvator Cathedral in Brugge, on July 21, 2014".
  10. ↑ "Photo". www.theroyalforums.com.
  11. ↑ "Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos & The Latest News Pictures - Getty Images". www.corbisimages.com.
  12. ↑ "Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos & The Latest News Pictures - Getty Images". www.corbisimages.com.
  13. ↑ "Hungary?s President Laszlo Solyom on State Visit to Belgium Day 1".
  14. ↑ "Hungary?s President Laszlo Solyom on State Visit to Belgium Day 1".
  15. ↑ "Wayback Machine". 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25.
  16. ↑ "Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembou".
  17. ↑ "Wayback Machine". 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25.
  18. ↑ "Tildelinger av ordener og medaljer". www.kongehuset.no.
  19. ↑ "Photo". modenaducale.altervista.org.
  20. ↑ "Portuguese State Visit To Belgium".
  21. ↑ "Photo" (PDF). www.boe.es.
  22. ↑ "Belga Image". www.belgaimage.be.
  23. ↑ "Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos & The Latest News Pictures - Getty Images". www.corbisimages.com.
  24. ↑ "Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos & The Latest News Pictures - Getty Images". www.corbisimages.com.
  25. ↑ "City Welcomes Princess Astrid of Belgium to San Antonio".
  26. ↑ Le Soir, Article (French) announcing the rank
  27. ↑ Belgian Defense Website, Article evoking Princess Astrid & Prince Laurent
  28. ↑ Belgian Defense Website, Article evoking Princess Astrid, last section "Mon colonel !"
Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Born: 5 June 1962
Belgian royalty
Preceded by
Princess Eléonore of Belgium		 Line of succession to the Belgian throne
5th position		 Succeeded by
Prince Amedeo of Belgium
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