Queen Paola of Belgium
Paola | |||||
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![]() Paola in 1969, with Albert behind her | |||||
Queen consort of the Belgians | |||||
Tenure | 9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013 | ||||
Born | Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria 11 September 1937 Villa Claudia, Forte dei Marmi, Kingdom of Italy | ||||
Spouse | |||||
Issue | |||||
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House | Ruffo di Calabria | ||||
Father | Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria | ||||
Mother | Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
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Queen Paola of Belgium (née Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria;[1] born 11 September 1937) is the wife of King Albert II and was Queen of the Belgians from 1993 until his abdication in 2013 in favour of their son King Philippe.
Early life and family background
She was born in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy, the seventh and youngest child of the World War I Italian flying ace Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884–1946).[2] Her mother was Donna Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989), a matrilineal descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution. She is of Italian and Belgian ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her youth.
Queen Paola is fluent in Italian, French, German and English. Less fluent, and the cause of occasional criticism, is her Dutch, the mother tongue of nearly 60 percent of Belgians.[3]
Ademarus Rufus, who died in 1049, held the title of Comes in southern Italy and Siggerio Ruffo became Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II's grand marshal of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1235.[2] The family divided into two branches after the 14th century: the Ruffo di Calabria and the Ruffo di Scaletta, to the former of which the Queen belongs.
Queen Paola's brother, Don Fabrizio Ruffo di Calabria-Santipau (1922–2005), head of the entire family from 1975, was historical heir to the titles of Prince of Scilla, Prince of Palazzolo, Duke of Guardia Lombarda, Count of Sinopoli, Marquis of Licodia Eubea, Count of Nicotera, Baron of Calanna and of Crispano, Patrician of Naples.[2]
Queen Paola is related to historically eminent Roman and southern Italian noble families, including the Colonna, Orsini, Pallavicini, Alliata and Rospigliosi. Among her distinguished ancestors of the French aristocracy were the American general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and the Dukes of Noailles.
Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1946, the Princes Ruffo di Calabria have become connected by marriage, in addition to the Belgian royal family, to such formerly reigning dynasties as the Orléans, the Savoys and the Bonapartes.[4]
Marriage and family
In 1958, the Prince of Liège went to the Vatican to witness the coronation of Pope John XXIII. At a reception at the Belgian embassy, the Prince met Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria. "We were both shy, so we only talked a little," Paola said later about their first meeting. Shy but smitten, Prince Albert later proposed marriage to Paola, and she accepted. Their engagement was announced at the Chateau of Laeken in 1959.[5] The Prince of Liège married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria at St. Goedele Cathedral in Brussels on 2 July 1959.
Issue
The couple have three children:
- Philippe, King of the Belgians (b. 15 April 1960), who married Countess Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1999 and has 4 children.
- Princess Astrid (b. 5 June 1962), who married Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este in 1984 and has 5 children.
- Prince Laurent (b. 19 October 1963), who married Claire Louise Coombs in 2003 and has 3 children.
Health
In 2015, the court announced Queen Paola was taking "a period of total rest" following doctors' orders. They also announced that she had to cancel a planned visit to the Biennale in Venice. Further communications were kept private. The Queen sent a message to Grosio, where she was expected to visit the residence of her aunt the Marchioness Margherita Pallavicini Mossi.[6][7] Newspapers believed that the Queen suffered from a stroke during the holiday.[8] The palace later announced she was being treated for a cardiac arrhythmia.[9]
Activities
Apart from her activities in the company of King Albert II, Queen Paola devotes her time to issues that are close to her heart, mainly in the social and cultural sphere.[10]
Queen Paola has demonstrated interest in contemporary Belgian arts, visiting the Venetian Biennale several times. She has acquired works of Jan Fabre, Michael Borremans and others for the Royal collection.[11] She has often met with such artists as Luc Tuymans and Dirk Braeckman.
She takes a keen interest in the protection and preservation of Belgium's heritage. She makes numerous visits to cultural sites, from Beguine convents to early 19th century industrial facilities.[10]
Queen Paola is interested in both new and traditional crafts, and takes every opportunity to encourage the exercise and teaching of craft professions.[10]
Queen Paola keeps abreast of contemporary art and regularly supports major exhibitions and artistic performances both in Belgium and abroad. On the initiative of Queen Paola, contemporary artists have had the opportunity to design and make original works within the Palace of Brussels.[10]
In 1992, Queen Paola set up the Queen Paola Foundation, which focus on integration and training for young people. The Queen Paola Foundation's activities are geared towards social integration, support for teachers at all levels of the education system and schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.[10]
Queen Paola is Honorary Chairman of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and of Missing Children Europe.[10]
Arms
Titles, styles and honours
Titles and styles
- 11 September 1937 – 2 July 1959: Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria[note 1][2][4][12][13][14]
- 2 July 1959 – 9 August 1993: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Liège
- 9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013: Her Majesty The Queen of the Belgians
- 21 July 2013 – present: Her Majesty Queen Paola
Honours
National
Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[15]
Vatican: Dame Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Holy See: Dame of the Decoration of Honour[16][17]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta:
Dame Grand Cross of Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta[16]
Belgium: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I
Foreign
Austria: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, 1st Class[18]
Bulgaria: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains[19]
Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant[20]
Estonia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana[21]
Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose[22]
France: Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit
Germany: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[23]
Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown
Latvia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars[24]
Lithuania: Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great
Luxembourg: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau[25][26]
Netherlands: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion[27][28][29]
Netherlands: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange[30]
Netherlands: Recipient of the Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix, Princess of Orange and Claus Van Amsberg[31]
Norway: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav[32][33]
Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle[34]
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ[35][36][37]
Romania: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania[38]
Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III[39][40]
Sweden: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Seraphim[41][42]
Sweden: Recipient of the Commemorative 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf[43]
Ancestry
Ancestors of Queen Paola of Belgium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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See also
Note
- ^ Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to her marriage, Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg and Le Petit Gotha, among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to her and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family, Paola's father having received the title of prince in the Italian nobility in 1928 from King Victor Emmanuel III, heritable according to masculine primogeniture.
References
- ^ Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to marriage, Burke's Peerage 1973, The Descendants of Louis XIII 1999, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels 2001, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg 1996, and Le Petit Gotha 2002 among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to her and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family
- ^ a b c d Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Ruffo". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp. 522–529. ISBN 3-7980-0824-8.
- ^ "Koningin van België neemt bad Nederlands". volkskrant.nl. 25 November 1998. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
- ^ a b de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 702 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
- ^ "Prince Albert Engagement - British Pathé". Britishpathe.com. 15 April 1959. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Italiaans dorp ziet Paola weer afzeggen". HLN.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Valtellina News - notizie da Sondrio e provincia » Annullata la visita della regina Paola del Belgio a Tirano e Grosio". Valtellinanews.it. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Koningin Paola kreeg beroerte". HLN.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Gert's Royals [@Gertsroyals] (15 November 2015). "The Belgium Palace confirmed that Queen Paola was receiving treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmia" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d e f "Queen Paola". The Belgian Monarchy Official Website.
- ^ "Koningin Paola bestelt kunst bij Michaël Borremans - Kunst - KnackFocus.be". Focus.knack.be. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 226. ISBN 0-220-66222-3
- ^ Willis, Daniel, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Clearfield Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1999, p. 100. ISBN 0-8063-4942-5.
- ^ Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 54, 58. French.
- ^ "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". Quirinale.it. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b Gettyimages.be, Paola wearing the Decoration of Honour and Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- ^ "Paola et Albert à Rome - L'actualité des royautés". Royautes.ek.la. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). 23 April 2012. p. 53.
- ^ "The Belgian Monarchy". Monarchie.be. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Finnish President Visit To Belgium - Day One Photos and Images". Getty Images. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ [1] Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ar Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni apbalvoto personu reģistrs". President.lv. Archived from the original (DOC) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "The late Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg nee Princess of Belgium with her sister in law Queen Paola of the Belgians each wear the g… | Pinteres…". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembou Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Photographic image : Queen Paola and King Albert of Belgium" (JPG). Static1.purepeople.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Dutch Royal Family Make State Visit To Belgium - Day 1 Photos and Images". Getty Images. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "2006.06.20____.jpg (image)". 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). Upload.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Photographic image : Prinses Beatrix en Prins Claus" (JPG). Upload.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Norwegian Royals Make State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Belgian Monarchy". Monarchie.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ [2] Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Portuguese State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Portuguese State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). 3.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Queen Silvia wore this tiara for one of the dinners during the Swedish State Visit to Belgium in May 2001. | Cameo Tiara | Pinterest | The Dinner, Belgium and …". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Editorial & News Images: News Photography, Pictures, Awards, Events, Sports, Celebrity Photos | Getty Images". Corbisimages.com. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ The Royal Forums
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Her Majesty's official homepage (in English)
- Royaltyinthenews.com
- 1937 births
- Living people
- Belgian queens consort
- Belgian expatriates in Germany
- Italian nobility
- People from the Province of Lucca
- Belgian people of Italian descent
- Naturalised citizens of Belgium
- House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium)
- Queens consort
- Belgian princesses
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
- Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Cordons of the Order of Stara Planina
- Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
- Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Dames of Malta
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great
- Recipients of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
- Recipients of the Order of Muhammad
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania
- People of Calabrian descent
- Ruffo di Calabria family