Astrid of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Astrid of Sweden (Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra of Sweden; 17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Leopold III
.
on 17 November 1905. She was the niece of King Gustav V of Sweden, since she was the youngest daughter of the king's brother, Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
, and his wife, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
. Astrid's paternal grandfather was King Oscar II of Sweden
and her maternal grandfather was King Frederick VIII of Denmark
. Astrid's sister, Princess Märtha
, married the future King Olav V of Norway
. Her eldest sister, Princess Margaretha of Sweden
married Prince Axel of Denmark
, while her only brother Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland
, married morganatically
.
In Stockholm
, on 4 November 1926 civilly and religiously in Brussels
on 10 November, Princess Astrid married Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium, the son of King Albert I of Belgium
and his wife, Queen Elisabeth, born Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. It was a happy and devoted marriage. Astrid was enthusiastically adopted by the Belgians. She was widely loved for her beauty, charm and simplicity. In 1927, Leopold and Astrid had a daughter, Princess Josephine-Charlotte
, and in 1930, their first son, Prince Baudouin (who eventually succeeded his father as King of the Belgians).
after marrying Prince Leopold. She had initially considered converting to Catholicism, simply because it was the religion of Belgium, but the priest she consulted told her not to do so until she genuinely believed it was the true religion (See More Joy Than Pain, 1991, by Lars Rooth pp. 84–85)
Astrid learned more about Catholicism and, several years later, in 1930, converted from genuine conviction. Her decision made her happy, and she confided to a close childhood friend: “My soul has found peace"(quoted by Anna Sparre in Astrid mon amie, 2005, p. 128) Her father-in-law, King Albert, who was very devout himself, repeated, on the day of Astrid's conversion: "I am glad, very glad. Now all the family is united in the same religion" (quoted by Charles d'Ydewalle in Albert and the Belgians: Portrait of a King, 2005, p. 259).
after his grandfather, and would eventually succeed his brother Baudouin as King of the Belgians.
As Queen, Astrid dedicated her time to raising her family and promoting social causes. She was very concerned with the situation of women, children, and the disadvantaged. During an economic crisis in Belgium in 1935, she organized a collection of clothing and food for the poor. She did this through an open letter, which was published as the “Queen’s Appeal”.
in the mountains, at Küssnacht am Rigi, near Lake Lucerne
, Schwyz
, Switzerland, on 29 August 1935. She was deeply mourned by her husband, King Leopold, by the Belgians, and by the Swedes. Belgium issued a particularly beautiful postage stamp
showing her portrait in black, known as the Astrid Mourning issue. A commemorative chapel was built in Switzerland at the site of the crash.
Queen Astrid is interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken
, Brussels, beside her husband, King Leopold III of the Belgians, and his second wife, Princess Lilian of Belgium.
|-
|-
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
.
Early life
Princess Astrid of Sweden was born in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on 17 November 1905. She was the niece of King Gustav V of Sweden, since she was the youngest daughter of the king's brother, Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland , was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway and Sophia of Nassau.-History:...
, and his wife, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
Princess Ingeborg of Denmark was a Danish princess and a Swedish princess consort...
. Astrid's paternal grandfather was King Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
and her maternal grandfather was King Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
. Astrid's sister, Princess Märtha
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Märtha of Sweden , full name Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra was the granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and the consort of Crown Prince Olav of Norway . She was the first Crown Princess of Norway in modern times who was not also Crown Princess of Sweden or Denmark...
, married the future King Olav V of Norway
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
. Her eldest sister, Princess Margaretha of Sweden
Princess Margaretha of Sweden
Princess Margaretha of Sweden and Norway, later just of Sweden, Margaretha Sofia Lovisa Ingeborg was a Princess of Sweden by birth and Princess of Denmark by marriage...
married Prince Axel of Denmark
Prince Axel of Denmark
Axel Christian Georg, Prince of Denmark and Iceland was a Danish and Icelandic prince.Prince Axel was the second son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and his wife, Princess Marie d'Orléans....
, while her only brother Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland
Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland
Carl Gustaf Oscar Fredrik Christian, Prince Bernadotte , formerly known as Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland, was the youngest child of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. To distinguish himself from his father, he was widely known as Mulle within the family...
, married morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
.
Marriage
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, on 4 November 1926 civilly and religiously in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on 10 November, Princess Astrid married Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium, the son of King Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
and his wife, Queen Elisabeth, born Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. It was a happy and devoted marriage. Astrid was enthusiastically adopted by the Belgians. She was widely loved for her beauty, charm and simplicity. In 1927, Leopold and Astrid had a daughter, Princess Josephine-Charlotte
Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as spouse of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
, and in 1930, their first son, Prince Baudouin (who eventually succeeded his father as King of the Belgians).
Conversion to Catholicism
Raised as a Lutheran, Astrid converted to CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
after marrying Prince Leopold. She had initially considered converting to Catholicism, simply because it was the religion of Belgium, but the priest she consulted told her not to do so until she genuinely believed it was the true religion (See More Joy Than Pain, 1991, by Lars Rooth pp. 84–85)
Astrid learned more about Catholicism and, several years later, in 1930, converted from genuine conviction. Her decision made her happy, and she confided to a close childhood friend: “My soul has found peace"(quoted by Anna Sparre in Astrid mon amie, 2005, p. 128) Her father-in-law, King Albert, who was very devout himself, repeated, on the day of Astrid's conversion: "I am glad, very glad. Now all the family is united in the same religion" (quoted by Charles d'Ydewalle in Albert and the Belgians: Portrait of a King, 2005, p. 259).
Queen
On February 17, 1934, King Albert died in a mountain-climbing accident in Marche-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 named AlbertAlbert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
after his grandfather, and would eventually succeed his brother Baudouin as King of the Belgians.
As Queen, Astrid dedicated her time to raising her family and promoting social causes. She was very concerned with the situation of women, children, and the disadvantaged. During an economic crisis in Belgium in 1935, she organized a collection of clothing and food for the poor. She did this through an open letter, which was published as the “Queen’s Appeal”.
Death
At age 29, Queen Astrid was killed in a car accidentCar accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
in the mountains, at Küssnacht am Rigi, near Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...
, Schwyz
Schwyz
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.The Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.-History of the toponym:...
, Switzerland, on 29 August 1935. She was deeply mourned by her husband, King Leopold, by the Belgians, and by the Swedes. Belgium issued a particularly beautiful postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
showing her portrait in black, known as the Astrid Mourning issue. A commemorative chapel was built in Switzerland at the site of the crash.
Queen Astrid is interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken
Church of Our Lady of Laeken
The Church of Our Lady of Laeken is a neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church in Laeken, Brussels. It was originally built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of King Leopold I to the design of architect Joseph Poelaert....
, Brussels, beside her husband, King Leopold III of the Belgians, and his second wife, Princess Lilian of Belgium.
Ancestry
External links
- Royal House of Sweden and Royal House of Norway
- Royal House of Belgium
- Astrid of Sweden at Find-A-Grave
- Astrid's Conversion to Catholicism
- The Queen's Charity Drive, 1935
- Portraits of the Nation: Postage Stamps and National Identity
|-
|-