Princess Astrid of Belgium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Princess Astrid |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archduchess of Austria-Este | |||||
_(cropped).jpg)
Princess Astrid in 2022
|
|||||
| Born | 5 June 1962 Belvédère Château, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium |
||||
| Spouse |
Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este
(m. 1984) |
||||
| Issue | Prince Amedeo Princess Maria Laura Prince Joachim Princess Luisa Maria Princess Laetitia Maria |
||||
|
|||||
| House | Belgium | ||||
| Father | Albert II of Belgium | ||||
| Mother | Paola Ruffo di Calabria | ||||
Princess Astrid of Belgium was born on June 5, 1962. She is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola. She is also the younger sister of the current Belgian King, King Philippe.
Princess Astrid is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium. He is the head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Princess Astrid is currently fifth in line to become the Queen of Belgium.
Contents
Biography
Princess Astrid was born at the Belvédère Château in Laeken, near Brussels. She was named after her grandmother, Astrid of Sweden. Her grandmother was the first wife of King Leopold III. Sadly, Queen Astrid died in a car accident when she was only 29 years old.
Princess Astrid's godparents were her uncle Fabrizio and her aunt Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.
Marriage and family
Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este on September 22, 1984. The wedding took place at the Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon in Brussels. Prince Lorenz was later given the title Prince of Belgium in 1995.
Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children:
- Prince Amedeo (born February 21, 1986). He married Elisabetta "Lili" Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein on July 5, 2014. They have three children:
- Anna Astrid (born May 17, 2016)
- Maximilian (born September 6, 2019)
- Alix (born September 2, 2023)
- Princess Maria Laura (born August 26, 1988). She married William Isvy on September 10, 2022.
- Prince Joachim (born December 9, 1991).
- Princess Luisa Maria (born October 11, 1995).
- Princess Laetitia Maria (born April 23, 2003).
All of Princess Astrid's children were born in Brussels.
Royal role
Princess Astrid has held several important roles. She used to be the President of the Belgian Red Cross. This is a group that helps people in need. She also holds the rank of colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces.
Princess Astrid is a member of the board for the International Paralympic Committee. This group helps organize sports for athletes with disabilities. In 2015, she took over the Prince Albert Fund from her father. This fund helps young Belgian business people.
Special Envoy
Princess Astrid has worked for many years to help people affected by landmines. Landmines are dangerous explosives hidden in the ground. She has been very active in the Ottawa Treaty, which aims to ban landmines around the world. Belgium joined this treaty in 1998.
In 2013, Princess Astrid became a Special Envoy for the treaty. This means she travels to different countries to encourage them to join the ban. She also speaks up for the rights of landmine survivors.
For example, in 2014, she met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman. She encouraged Oman to join the treaty, which they did a few months later. In 2019, she visited Lebanon to promote the treaty there. She met with the President and the Minister of National Defense.
Titles and honours
| Styles of Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reference style | Her Imperial and Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial and Royal Highness |
Princess Astrid has received many honours from Belgium and other countries.
- From Belgium, she has the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold. This is a very high honour.
- She has also received important awards from countries like Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
Awards
- From Peru, she received the Freedom of the City of Lima.
- In 2016, she was made an honorary mayor of San Antonio, Texas, in the United States.
Images for kids
-
The coat of arms for a Princess of Belgium.
See also
In Spanish: Astrid de Bélgica para niños
