| Astrid of Sweden | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Queen Astrid in 1935 | |||||
| Queen consort of the Belgians | |||||
| Tenure | 23 February 1934 – 29 August 1935 | ||||
| Born | (1905-11-17)17 November 1905 Arvfurstens palats,Stockholm, Sweden | ||||
| Died | 29 August 1935(1935-08-29) (aged 29) Küssnacht am Rigi,Schwyz, Switzerland | ||||
| Burial | 3 September 1935 Church of Our Lady of Laeken,Brussels, Belgium | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| House | Bernadotte | ||||
| Father | Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland | ||||
| Mother | Princess Ingeborg of Denmark | ||||
Astrid of Sweden (Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra; 17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was a member of the Swedish House of Bernadotte and later becameQueen of the Belgians as the first wife ofKing Leopold III. Following her marriage to Leopold in November 1926, she assumed the title ofDuchess of Brabant.[2] Astrid held the position of Queen of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until her death in 1935. Known for her charitable efforts, she focused particularly on causes related to women and children.
Astrid and Leopold had three children. Their daughter,Joséphine-Charlotte, later became theGrand Duchess Consort of Luxembourg, while their sons both ascended the throne asKing of the Belgians. Their sonKing Albert II named his first daughter,Princess Astrid of Belgium, after his mother. Queen Astrid was the sister ofCrown Princess Märtha of Norway (the wife of the future KingOlav V).
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Princess Astrid was born on 17 November 1905 at her parents’ then-residence, theArvfurstens Palats atGustav Adolfs Torg in centralStockholm.[2] She was the third child and youngest daughter ofPrince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, and his wife,Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her father was the third son ofOscar II, King of Sweden and Norway, by his wife,Sophia of Nassau, and was a younger brother of KingGustav V of Sweden. Astrid’s mother was a daughter of KingFrederik VIII of Denmark by his wife,Louise of Sweden, and the younger sister of kingsChristian X of Denmark andHaakon VII of Norway.[3]
Astrid had two elder sisters,Margaretha, Princess Axel of Denmark, andMärtha, Crown Princess of Norway, as well as a younger brother,Prince Carl Bernadotte (prev. Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland).[4]
Astrid grew up with her sisters and younger brother atByström's Villa (also known as Prince Carl's Palace) on the islandDjurgården in central Stockholm until 1923, when the family had to leave the house for financial reasons. After 1909, holidays were spent at the family's summer residenceVilla Fridhem' byBråviken, a bay of theBaltic Sea nearNorrköping. Astrid was raised with a strict education and little luxury. She attended the Sint Botvid boarding school, where lessons were taught inFrench, then went on to the Akerstrom-Soderstrom finishing school, where she studied sewing, piano, ballet and childcare.[citation needed] After she finished school, Astrid worked at a Stockholm orphanage where she cared for children.[citation needed]
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Due to her royal status, Astrid was named as a potential bride for a number of princes, including the futureEdward VIII of the United Kingdom and the futureOlav V of Norway.
In September 1926, her engagement withPrince Leopold of Belgium, Duke of Brabant was announced. The King said: "The Queen and I would like to announce to you the impending marriage between Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, and Princess Astrid of Sweden. We are convinced that the princess will bring joy and happiness to our son. Leopold and Astrid have decided to join their lives without any pressures or reasons of state. Theirs is a true union among people with the same inclinations." Queen Elizabeth said: "It is a marriage of love... tell it to our people. Nothing was arranged. Not a single political consideration prevailed in our son's decision."
Princess Astrid entered into acivil marriage with Prince Leopold inStockholm on 4 November 1926, and the pair were married religiously inCathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Brussels on 10 November 1926. The couple travelled separately toAntwerp after their civil marriage and reunited in Belgium. The religious marriage was attended by a large wedding party of young friends and relatives:Princess Feodora of Denmark,Princess Marie-José of Belgium,Princess Märtha of Sweden,Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Alfhild Ekelund,Prince Carl of Sweden,Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden,Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Margareta Stähl, Count Claes Sparre, Anna Adelswärd,Prince Charles of Belgium,Count Folke Bernadotte,Baron Sigvard Beck-Friis, Anne Marie von Essen, andBaron Carl Strömfelt.[citation needed]
Princess Astrid was given a tiara created by Belgian jeweler Van Bever as a wedding gift from the Belgian government. The original version of the diadem is a flexible diamond bandeau in a stylizedGreek key motif topped with 11 large diamonds on spikes. These large stones, totaling around 100 carats on their own, symbolized the nine provinces of Belgium and the now former Belgian colony of theCongo.[citation needed] She later added a set of diamond arches to enclose each of the 11 independent stones. After Astrid's death, the tiara was in King Leopold's possession, and his second wifeLilian, Princess of Réthy wore parts of the tiara, but not the full set of gems, as Lilian never held the title of Queen. Leopold abdicated the throne in favor of his sonBaudouin; when Baudouin married, Leopold gave the tiara to the new queen,Fabiola, who wore it on her wedding day. She handed the jewel over after Baudouin's death to be worn byQueen Paola who, after the abdication of her husbandAlbert, gave it toMathilde, the new Queen of the Belgians.[5]
The Duke and Duchess of Brabant spent their honeymoon in thesouth of France before moving into a wing of theRoyal Palace of Brussels. After the honeymoon period, Princess Astrid began learningFrench andDutch.[citation needed] Astrid was enthusiastically adopted by the Belgians for her beauty, charm and simplicity. As the Duchess of Brabant, she worked to alleviate various forms of adversity.[2]
In October 1927, Leopold and Astrid had a daughter,Princess Joséphine-Charlotte, laterGrand Duchess of Luxembourg and mother ofHenri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The birth of Joséphine-Charlotte was a difficult period for Astrid, as women were barred from the line of succession to the throne.[2] One year later, she and her husband visited theDutch East Indies, nowIndonesia.[6] They arrived on the shipInsulinde.[7] When the couple visitedSurakarta, Astrid and her husband received a box with a goldenkris inside as a present from the Dutch East Indies government.[7] Princess Astrid received a box with a fan inlaid with gold inside as a gift.[7] Local people admired Princess Astrid's warm, enthusiastic, and less formal attitude.[7] The couple visited Radio Poestoko Museum and Societet Habiprojo, where they watched awayang show.[7] They also visitedSurabaya andBali.[7] After having spent five months in the Dutch East Indies, the couple travelled back to Belgium on the shipTjerimai.[7] Upon their return, the couple moved intoStuyvenberg Castle.[citation needed] In September 1930, Astrid gave birth toPrince Baudouin, who eventually becameKing of the Belgians.[citation needed]
Raised as aLutheran, Astrid converted toCatholicism after marrying Leopold. She had considered converting to Catholicism earlier, as it was the official religion ofBelgium, but delayed her conversion after consulting with Fr William Hemmick, who told her to wait until she genuinely believed it was the true religion.[8] Astrid converted to Catholicism in 1930, confiding to a close childhood friend: "My soul has found peace."[9] On the day of Astrid's conversion, her father-in-law King Albert I said: "I am glad, very glad. Now all the family is united in the same religion."[10]
In 1932, Astrid and her husband traveled toAsia and theCongo. According to a May 1933 print ofDe Locomotief, the photographs of their visit to the Dutch East Indies were published as a collection in a book titledDe Reis van Prins Leopold door Ned-Indie.[7] After their visit to the Congo, Astrid wrote to her friend Countess Anna Sparre (née Baroness Anna Adelswärd) about the majestic landscapes of Congo land and her concerns about suffering, poverty and infant mortality that the Congolese faced.[11]
The Duchess of Brabant became a godmother to Anna Sparre's daughter, Christina,[12] and her sisterCrown Princess Märtha's second daughter,Princess Astrid.[citation needed]
On 17 February 1934, King Albert I died in amountain-climbing accident inMarche-les-Dames, Belgium. Leopold and Astrid became the new King and Queen of the Belgians. Later that year, the third child of Leopold and Astrid was born. He was namedAlbert after his grandfather, and would eventually succeed his brother Baudouin asKing of the Belgians. The present King of the Belgians,Philippe, is Albert's son.
As Queen of the Belgians, Astrid dedicated her time to raising her children and promoting social causes that brought her into contact with the Belgians. She was concerned by the situations of women, children, and disadvantaged people. During an economic crisis in Belgium in 1935 she organized the collection of clothing, money and food for the poor through an open letter, published as the "Queen’s Appeal." Queen Astrid also visited poor settlements in Belgium.[11]
Queen Astrid was particularly interested in training women formally in childcare and healthcare.[13] She also supported the training of young girls as dressmakers to better their career opportunities.[13] She supported Catholic charitable institutions, such as theSisters of St. Vincent de Paul, and liberal organizations, such as theFédération des Foyers Belges.[13] She also gave audiences to advocates ofwomen's rights such asBaroness Marthe Boël, president of theNational Council of Belgian Women.[13]
In May 1935, Queen Astrid patronized Milk Week, an effort to encourage Belgians to drink healthy beverages. She charged Gatien du Parc, one of her courtiers, with the task of preparing a detailed report on milk regulations in foreign countries after a strict investigation.[13] Queen Astrid often did charitable works as part of a Relief Committee.[14][better source needed]
Queen Astrid had a warm, friendly, social, and charming personality.[citation needed] According to her friend Countess Anna Sparre, Astrid was a shy and insecure woman—a disposition she believes may have been influenced by Astrid's mother favoring her elder sister Märtha.[11] Apparently a timid and fragile woman, Astrid could be fierce and stern when she had to defend a wronged loved one.[15]
She collected Swedish folk art and enjoyed sports such asswimming,skiing,climbing,horseback riding andgolf.[16]
In August 1935, the King and Queen wentincognito to their holiday home,Villa Haslihorn inHorw, on the shores ofLake Lucerne, Switzerland.Joséphine-Charlotte and Baudouin travelled with their parents, while the one-year-old Prince Albert remained in Brussels.
On 29 August 1935, the King and Queen went for a lasthike in the mountains before returning home. Their chauffeur was sitting in the back of thePackard One-Twenty convertible; the King was driving and the Queen looking at a map. At approximately 9:30 am the Queen pointed out something to her husband, who looked away from the road. The car left the road, travelled down a steep slope, and collided with a pear tree. Queen Astrid had opened her door in an attempt to jump off but was thrown out upon impact, dying instantly after striking her head on the trunk of the tree while the car hit a second tree. She was only 29 years old.
Queen Astrid is interred in the royal vault at theChurch of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels, beside her husband, King Leopold III, and his second wife,Lilian, Princess of Réthy.
Alexei Schwarzenbach [fr], a Swiss historian, describes how Queen Astrid entered folklore in Belgium and Switzerland.[17] Months after her death, newlyweds brought flowers to the place where the Queen died.[17] The chapel visitors would also bring wreaths and candles.[17] The visits peaked onfeasts ofAll Saints andAll Souls.[17] The Queen was described as an icon of beauty, kindness, romance, marriage, and as a modelCatholic.[17] The Mayor of Küssnacht told the Belgian Ambassador to Switzerland: "It is on pilgrimage that these couples arrive here from all over the canton. These young newlyweds, in bridal dress, whom you saw visiting the place where Queen Astrid passed away, are imploring her protection. Your young Queen has become part of Swiss legend; she is, for our people, who have beatified her in their hearts, the symbol of maternal love and conjugal fidelity."[17]
In 1935, the Belgian postal authorities issued apostage stamp showing her portrait outlined in black. This is known as theAstrid Mourning issue. Later that same year, it released a series of anti-tuberculosis fund stamps with the same design.[18]Place de la Reine-Astrid [fr] in8th arrondissement of Paris was named in her memory.[19]
A commemorative chapel namedAstrid Chapel[20][21] was built in Switzerland at the site of the crash. The Swiss government gave the land to Belgium a year after Astrid's death and the chapel was built in the style of aWalloon country church.[22] The chapel has become a destination for Swedish and Belgian tourists.[23]The King's Cross, built where the Queen died in her husband's arms, is made from Swedish granite.[24][25] A museum nearby holds images and memorabilia of the event, including a shard from the windshield and the trunk of the pear tree. The tree itself fell after a storm in 1992. The car was sunk at a deep part of theVierwaldstättersee at the request of the king.[23]
A memorial was built by the architect Paul Bonduelle inLaeken,Belgium, and inaugurated on 21 July 1938. The building, which is in the lateneo-classical style, faces theChurch of Our Lady of Laeken and backs onto thePalace of Laeken. The same year, on the initiative of the local Veterans' Front, a bronze bust of the Queen was erected in Wisterzée Park inCourt-Saint-Étienne, Belgium, by sculptorVictor Rousseau.[citation needed]
Astrid Avenue inBogor Botanical Garden inIndonesia was named after her while she was honeymooning there with her spouse in 1928. The avenue is decorated with spectacular displays ofcanna lilies of various colors.[26][6] The Swedish layer cakePrincess cake was named after Astrid and her two sisters when they were children.[27][28][unreliable source?]
Four of her descendants were named Astrid to honour her: her granddaughtersPrincess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg,Princess Astrid of Belgium, her great-granddaughterPrincess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein and her great-great-granddaughter Archduchess Anna Astrid of Austria-Este. Her niecePrincess Astrid of Norway (later Mrs. Ferner) was also named in her honour.[29] Her husbandKing Leopold III's first daughter with his second wifeLilian Baels,Princess Marie-Christine Daphné Astrid Élisabeth Léopoldine of Belgium (b. 1951), was named after her.
 Alliance Coat of Arms of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of Belgium |  Royal Monogram of Queen Astrid of Belgium |
Astrid of Sweden Born: 17 November 1905 Died: 29 August 1935 | ||
| Belgian royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Queen consort of the Belgians 1934–1935 | Vacant Title next held by Fabiola de Mora y Aragón |
