Astrid of Sweden

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Astrid of Sweden
Küssnacht am Rigi, Schwyz, Switzerland
Burial3 September 1935
Church of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels
, Belgium
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1926)​
Issue
Names
Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra[1]
HouseBernadotte
FatherPrince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
MotherPrincess Ingeborg of Denmark

Astrid of Sweden (17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was a member of the Swedish House of Bernadotte and later became Queen of the Belgians as the first wife of King Leopold III. Following her marriage to Leopold in November 1926, she assumed the title of Duchess 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,

Harald V
of Norway.

Early life

Princess Astrid (centre) with her mother Princess Ingeborg and two sisters, Princess Margaretha (left) and Princess Märtha (right).

Princess Astrid was born on 17 November 1905 at her parents’ then-residence, the

Haakon VII of Norway.[3]

Astrid had two elder sisters,

Prince Carl Bernadotte (prev. Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland).[4]

Astrid grew up with her sisters and younger brother at Byström's Villa (also known as Prince Carl's Palace) on the island Djurgården in central Stockholm until 1923, when the family had to leave the house for financial reasons. From 1909, holidays were spent at the family's summer residence Villa Fridhem' by Bråviken, a bay of the Baltic Sea near Norrköping. Astrid was raised with a strict education and little luxury. She attended the Sint Botvid boarding school, where lessons were taught in French, then went on to the Akerstrom-Soderstrom finishing school, where she studied sewing, piano, ballet and childcare.[5] After she finished school, Astrid worked at a Stockholm orphanage where she cared for children.[6]

Engagement and wedding

Astrid and Leopold's engagement photograph

Due to her royal status, Astrid was named as a potential bride for a number of princes, including the future

Olav V of Norway
.

In September 1926, her engagement with Prince 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."

Astrid and Leopold on their wedding day

Princess Astrid entered into a

Count Folke Bernadotte, Baron Sigvard Beck-Friis, Anne Marie von Essen, and Baron 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 stylized

Fabiola, who wore it on her wedding day. She handed the jewel over after Baudouin's death to be worn by Queen Paola who, after the abdication of her husband Albert, gave it to Mathilde, the new Queen of the Belgians.[7]

Duchess of Brabant

Astrid as Duchess of Brabant in 1926.

The Duke and Duchess of Brabant spent their honeymoon in the

south of France before moving into a wing of the Royal Palace of Brussels. After the honeymoon period, Princess Astrid began learning French and Dutch.[8] 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]

Astrid and Leopold visiting Alfa Romeo in Italy

In October 1927, Leopold and Astrid had a daughter,

King of the Belgians.[citation needed
]

Raised as a

Catholicism after marrying Leopold. She had considered converting to Catholicism earlier, as it was the religion of Belgium, but delayed her conversion after consulting Father William Hemmick, who told her to wait until she genuinely believed it was the true religion.[11] Astrid converted to Catholicism in 1930, confiding to a close childhood friend: "My soul has found peace."[12] 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."[13]

In 1932, Astrid and her husband traveled to

née Baroness Anna Adelswärd) about the majestic landscapes of Congo land and her concerns about suffering, poverty and infant mortality that the Congolese faced.[14]

The Duchess of Brabant became a godmother to Anna Sparre's daughter, Christina,[15] and her sister Crown Princess Märtha's second daughter, Princess Astrid.[citation needed]

Queen

On 17 February 1934, King Albert I died in a

King 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 situation 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.[14]

Queen Astrid was particularly interested in training women formally in childcare and healthcare.

National Council of Belgian Women.[16]

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.

better source needed
]

Hobbies and personality

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.[14] Apparently a timid and fragile woman, Astrid could be fierce and stern when she had to defend a wronged loved one.[18]

She collected Swedish folk art and enjoyed sports such as

horseback riding and golf.[citation needed
]

Death

Funeral of Astrid

Astrid died on 29 August 1935 in a car accident at

Küssnacht am Rigi.[19]

In August 1935, the King and Queen went incognito to their holiday home, Villa Haslihorn in Horw, on the shores of Lake 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 last hike in the mountains before returning home. Their chauffeur was sitting in the back of the Packard 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 and was thrown out upon impact, striking the trunk of the tree while the car hit a second tree.

Queen Astrid is interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels, beside her husband, King Leopold III, and his second wife, Lilian, Princess of Réthy.

Legacy

Folklore

Catholic.[20] 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."[20]

Memorials

Astrid Chapel and The King's Cross.

In 1935, the Belgian postal authorities issued a postage stamp showing her portrait outlined in black. This is known as the Astrid Mourning issue. Later that same year, it released a series of anti-tuberculosis fund stamps with the same design.[21] Place de la Reine-Astrid [fr] in 8th arrondissement of Paris was named in her memory.[22]

A commemorative chapel named Astrid Chapel

Vierwaldstättersee at the request of the king.[26]

A memorial was built by the architect Paul Bonduelle in Laeken, Belgium, and inaugurated on 21 July 1938. The building, which is in the late neo-classical style, faces the Church of Our Lady of Laeken and backs onto the Palace of Laeken. The same year, on the initiative of the local Veterans' Front, a bronze bust of the Queen was erected in Wisterzée Park in Court-Saint-Étienne, Belgium, by sculptor Victor Rousseau.[citation needed]

Astrid Avenue in

Bogor Botanical Garden in Indonesia was named after her while she was honeymooning there with her spouse in 1928. The avenue is decorated with spectacular displays of canna lilies of various colors.[29][9] The Swedish layer cake Princess cake was named after Astrid and her two sisters when they were children.[30][31][unreliable source?
]

Names

Four of her descendants were named Astrid to honour her: her granddaughters

Princess Marie-Christine Daphné Astrid Élisabeth Léopoldine
of Belgium (b. 1951), was named after her.

Gallery

Arms


Alliance Coat of Arms of King Leopold III
and Queen Astrid of Belgium
Royal Monogram of Queen Astrid
of Belgium

Ancestry

References

Citations

  1. ISBN 0 85011 023 8
    p. 514 (spelling of her full name as baptized)
  2. ^ a b c d "Princess Astrid". www.kungahuset.se. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Ingeborg of Denmark (1878–1958) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Astrid of Sweden (1905–1935) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  5. ^ Bloks, Moniek (20 June 2018). "Astrid of Sweden - Queen of Hearts". History of Royal Women. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ^ Abi, Jo (7 August 2020). "The short and tragic life of Queen Astrid of Belgium". Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Mathilde, queen of Belgium | Facts, Biography, & Children | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bloks, Moniek (20 June 2018). "Astrid of Sweden - Queen of Hearts". History of Royal Women. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  9. ^ a b Priherdityo, Endro (16 March 2016). "Kisah Cinta Putri Belgia Masih Tersimpan di Kebun Raya Bogor" [The Memory of Belgian Princess's Love Story Is Still Saved in the Bogor Botanical Garden]. CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Janti, Nur (17 June 2020). "Kunjungan Putra Mahkota Belgia Leopold dan Putri Astrid ke Hindia Belanda" [Visit of the Belgian Crown Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid to the Dutch East Indies]. Historia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  11. ^ More Joy Than Pain, 1991, by Lars Rooth pp. 84–85
  12. ^ Quoted by Anna Sparre in Astrid mon amie, 2005, p. 128
  13. ^ Quoted by Charles d'Ydewalle in Albert and the Belgians: Portrait of a King, 2005, p. 259
  14. ^ a b c Sparre, Anna. Astrid mon amie. 2005.
  15. ^ Sparre, Anna. Astrid mon amie. 2005. ""But I promised I would look after my god-daughter, Christina, if something happened to you," she answered, trying to smile."
  16. ^ a b c d e Koninckx, Christian; Libert-Vandenhove, Louise-Marie. Astrid: 1905-1935 (2005). pp. 103-115.
  17. ^ "Koningin Astrid van België (1935)" (in Dutch). 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Sparre, Anna. Astrid mon amie. 2005. p. 114
  19. Aberdeen Press and Journal. No. 25, 167. 30 August 1935. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive
    .
  20. ^ a b c d e f Réactions à la mort de la reine Astrid, 1905-1935, document of historian Alexei Schwarzenbach [fr].
  21. ^ Stanley Gibbons Simplified catalogue. Stamps of the World, 1985 Edition
  22. ^ "LA PLACE DE LA REINE ASTRID". paristoric.com (in French). Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  23. ^ "ASTRID KAPELLE KÜSSNACHT AM RIGI". zug-tourismus.ch. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Astrid Kapelle, Küssnacht am Rigi". rigi.ch.
  25. ^ "Bericht über den Besuch des Belgischen Königs Albert II. in Küssnacht". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  26. ^ a b Der belgische König kommt nach Küssnacht Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Neue Zürcher Zeitung
  27. ^ Schwarzenbach, Alexei (1998). Rêves Royaux. Réactions à la mort de la reine Astrid, 1905-1935 . p. 22.
  28. ^ "Mort de la reine Astrid: le roi des Belges sur les lieux du drame" [Death of Queen Astrid: the King of the Belgians at the scene of the tragedy]. tdg.ch (in French). 29 August 2015.
  29. ^ "Taman Astrid - Kebun Raya Bogor". Lovely Bogor (in Indonesian).
  30. ^ "Traditionsenlig tårtfrossa - Prinsessyra bäddar för prinsesstårtans vecka" (in Swedish). Cisionwire. 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  31. ^ Vera (24 February 2009). "Swedish Princess Cake". Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Princess Astrid celebrates her 80th birthday". Norwegian Royal House. 11 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Astrid of Sweden.
Astrid of Sweden
Born: 17 November 1905 Died: 29 August 1935
Belgian royalty
Preceded by
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Queen consort of the Belgians

1934–1935 		Vacant
Title next held by
Fabiola de Mora y Aragón
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Astrid_of_Sweden&oldid=1218884511"