Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Princess Astrid
Princess of Belgium Archduchess of Austria-Este
Princess Astrid making an address in Laos in 2009
Born	5 June 1962 Château de Belvédère, Laeken, Belgium
Spouse	Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este (m. 1984)
Issue	Prince Amedeo Princess Maria Laura Prince Joachim Princess Luisa Maria Princess Laetitia Maria
Full name Astrid Joséphine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie
House	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Father	King Albert II of the Belgians
Mother	Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Religion	Roman Catholic

Belgian Royal Family
HM The King HM The Queen HRH The Duchess of Brabant HRH Prince Gabriel HRH Prince Emmanuel HRH Princess Eléonore HM King Albert II HM Queen Paola HI&RH The Archduchess of Austria-Este HI&RH The Archduke of Austria-Este HI&RH Prince Amedeo HI&RH Archduchess Elisabetta HI&RH Archduchess Anna Astrid HI&RH Princess Maria Laura HI&RH Prince Joachim HI&RH Princess Luisa Maria HI&RH Princess Laetitia Maria HRH Prince Laurent HRH Princess Claire HRH Princess Louise HRH Prince Nicolas HRH Prince Aymeric HRH Princess Léa HRH Princess Marie-Christine HRH Princess Marie-Esméralda

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 also the wife of Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Biography

Princess Astrid was born one day before her father's 28th birthday at the Château de Belvédère, near Laeken, and was named for 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, the 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]

• Prince Amedeo Marie Joseph Carl Pierre Philippe Paola Marcus d'Aviano, Archduke of Austria (born 21 February 1986); married Elisabetta Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein (b. 1987) on 5 July 2014. The couple have one daughter:
  • Archduchess Anna Astrid of Austria-Este (born on 17 May 2016) (age 6 months 18 days)
• Princess Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 26 August 1988)
• Prince Joachim Karl-Maria Nikolaus Isabelle Marcus d'Aviano, Archduke of Austria-Este (9 December 1991)
• Princess Luisa Maria Anna Martine Pilar, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 11 October 1995)
• Princess Laetitia Maria Nora Anna Joachim Zita, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 23 April 2003)

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 Palace 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]

Upon her brother's ascension to the throne, Princess Astrid took on some duties previously conducted by Philippe as the Honorary chairman of the board of the Foreign Trade Agency with his wife, Queen Mathilde. Princess Astrid travelled to Angola, South Africa, India and Russia to promote Belgian trade.

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

•  Belgium: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold^[7][8][9]

Foreign Honours

•  Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st Class^[10][11][12]
•  Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary^[13][14]
•  Luxembourg: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau^[15][16]
•  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown^[17]
•  Norway: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit^[18]
•  Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry^[19][20]
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit^[21]
•  Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star^[22][23]

Awards

•  Peru: Freedom of the City of Lima^[24]

Arms

Arms of Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Notes Gustaaf Janssens, Archivist of the Royal Palace, confirms that HRH Princess Astrid's coat of arms as Princess of Belgium consist of the gold lion on a black background on a lozenge ensigned with the royal crown. Escutcheon Sable a lion rampant Or armed and langued Gules. French : De sable au lion d'or armé et lampassé de gueules

Ranks

23 May 1997 – 26 December 2003: Belgian Medical Component, Lieutenant-colonel[25][26] 26 December 2003 – : Belgian Medical Component, Colonel[27]
	1997	2003

Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

16. Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders               8. Albert I of Belgium                       17. Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen               4. Leopold III of Belgium                             18. Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria               9. Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria                       19. Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal               2. Albert II of Belgium                                   20. Oscar II of Sweden               10. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland                       21. Princess Sofia of Nassau               5. Princess Astrid of Sweden                             22. Frederick VIII of Denmark               11. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark                       23. Princess Lovisa of Sweden               1. Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este                                         24. Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria               12. Beniamino Tristano Ruffo di Calabria, 5th Duke di Guardia Lombarda                       25. Donna Eleonora Galletti dei Marchesi di San Cataldo               6. Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria                             26. Theodore Mosselman du Chenoy               13. Laura Mosselman du Chenoy                       27. Isabelle Coghen               3. Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla                                   28. Calisto Gazelli, Conte di Rossana e di Sebastiano               14. Augusto Gazelli dei Conte di Rossana                       29. Donna Francesca Cotti dei Conti di Ceres               7. Donna Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana                             30. Félix, Count Rignon               15. Maria Cristina dei Conti Rignon                       31. Donna Luisa Perrone dei Conti di San Martino

References

1. Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 44-45,50. French
2. 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. http://www.apminebanconvention.org/newsroom/press-release-archives/archives-2014/detail/article/1400501763-special-envoy-princess-astrid-of-belgium-welcomes-omans-decision-to-join-the-anti-pe/
5. http://www.apminebanconvention.org/newsroom/press-release-archives/archives-2015/detail/article/1448959503-princess-astrid-of-belgium-calls-for-greater-assistance-to-landmine-survivors/
6. http://www.maputoreviewconference.org/
7. http://c7.alamy.com/comp/D5AXJW/r-lprincess-astrid-of-belgium-prince-lorenz-of-belgium-and-prince-D5AXJW.jpg
8. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/royal-wedding-of-prince-frederik-and-mary-donaldson-news-photo/115141028
9. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/princess-astrid-and-prince-lorenz-of-belgium-attend-the-te-news-photo/452473600
10. http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=51886&d=1098964666
11. http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-82553011/princess-astrid
12. http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-82552914/princess-astrid-and-prince-lorenz
13. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/princess-astrid-from-belgium-poses-for-a-photo-before-a-news-photo/80724448
14. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/prince-lorentz-princess-astrid-prince-philippe-from-belgium-news-photo/80685347
15. https://web.archive.org/web/20120425124037/http://3.t.cdn.belga.be/picture:6345423:preview:watermark
16. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/prince-nikolaus-princess-margaretha-prince-lorentz-princess-news-photo/73644825
17. https://web.archive.org/web/20120425123911/http://0.t.cdn.belga.be/picture:23475634:preview:watermark
18. http://www.kongehuset.no/tildelinger.html?tid=28028&sek=27995&q=Astrid+&type=&aarstall=
19. http://modenaducale.altervista.org/index_file/image17871.png
20. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/prince-laurent-princess-claire-prince-lorentz-princess-news-photo/55950746
21. http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2000/05/13/pdfs/A17722-17722.pdf
22. https://younghotandroyal.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/wedding-2010-0619-belgium-astrid-belga3.jpg
23. http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/0000378959-031/royal-couple-of-sweden-on-state-visit
24. http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-63461225/belgian-princess-astrid-visits-lima
25. Le Soir, Article (French) announcing the rank
26. Belgian Defense Website, Article evoking Princess Astrid & Prince Laurent
27. Belgian Defense Website, Article evoking Princess Astrid, last section "Mon colonel !"

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".

External links

• Official Belgian Monarchy Website – Princess Astrid