Princess Léa of Belgium
Encyclopedia
Princess Léa of Belgium (née
: Léa Inga Dora Wolman, born 2 December 1951, Etterbeek
) is the widow of Prince Alexander of Belgium
, younger half-brother of King Albert II of Belgium
, King Baudouin, and the Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
.
Born the daughter of Sigismund Wolman and wife Lisa Bornstein (Nuremberg
, 1916 - Brussels
, 29 October 1996), in 1975 she married Serge Victorovich Spetschinsky (born in Léopoldville
, Belgian Congo
, on 25 April 1951), from whom she was divorced in 1980. They had a daughter Laetitia Spetschinsky (born in 1976), married to Didier Nagant de Deuxchaisnes and mother of a son Charles Albert (b. 14 February 2009). In 1982 Lea married Robert Bichara, and they had a son Renaud Bichara on 1 September 1983.
After her second divorce she wed Prince Alexander
, in Debenham
, Suffolk
, on 14 March 1991. They had been introduced in 1986 by a former defence minister
Léon Mundeleer. Alexander asked her to accompany him to the cinema. She vacillated initially, but they began to enjoy dining out together, Alexander being a gourmand
, according to his future wife.
The couple had no children together, and the marriage was kept secret until 1998. Apparently the prince feared his mother would disapprove. Alexander's marriage contravened Article 85 of the Belgian constitution
, which deprived of the right of succession
to the throne any descendant of King Leopold I
who marries without the sovereign's permission.
Although sometimes the royal title is prefixed to her name (i.e., Princess Léa) as for other females who have married into the royal family, that style is not used at the Belgian court
nor by the government, and she is otherwise referred to as "Princess Alexandre of Belgium". She explained in a May 2008 interview with Point de Vue, "On 2 December 1991, a royal decree declared that henceforth the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium would no longer be transmitted by marriage, but would be created by royal decree. We have no regrets, no rancor."
In 2008 she published a book of photographs from the life of her husband and his family, called Le Prince Alexandre de Belgique, because she felt that he was too little known in Belgium.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
: Léa Inga Dora Wolman, born 2 December 1951, Etterbeek
Etterbeek
Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....
) is the widow of Prince Alexander of Belgium
Prince Alexander of Belgium
Prince Alexander of Belgium was the eldest child from the second marriage of King Leopold III of Belgium. His mother was Lilian, Princess of Réthy...
, younger half-brother of King Albert II of Belgium
Albert 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...
, King Baudouin, and the Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as spouse of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
.
Born the daughter of Sigismund Wolman and wife Lisa Bornstein (Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, 1916 - 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...
, 29 October 1996), in 1975 she married Serge Victorovich Spetschinsky (born in Léopoldville
Leopoldville
Leopoldville may refer to:* The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, today known as Kinshasa* SS Leopoldville, a troopship sunk in 1944...
, Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, on 25 April 1951), from whom she was divorced in 1980. They had a daughter Laetitia Spetschinsky (born in 1976), married to Didier Nagant de Deuxchaisnes and mother of a son Charles Albert (b. 14 February 2009). In 1982 Lea married Robert Bichara, and they had a son Renaud Bichara on 1 September 1983.
After her second divorce she wed Prince Alexander
Prince Alexander of Belgium
Prince Alexander of Belgium was the eldest child from the second marriage of King Leopold III of Belgium. His mother was Lilian, Princess of Réthy...
, in Debenham
Debenham
Debenham is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in Eastern England. In the 2001 census the population recorded was 1,728...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, on 14 March 1991. They had been introduced in 1986 by a former defence minister
Ministry of Defence (Belgium)
The Ministry of Defence is the Belgian ministry responsible for national defence and the Belgian military. As a result of the first Verhofstadt Government's plans to modernise the federal administration, all other ministries were transformed into Federal Public Services but in August 2007 there...
Léon Mundeleer. Alexander asked her to accompany him to the cinema. She vacillated initially, but they began to enjoy dining out together, Alexander being a gourmand
Gourmand
A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure in food. The word has different connotations from the similar word gourmet, which emphasises an individual with a highly refined discerning palate, but in practice the two terms are closely linked, as both imply the enjoyment of good food.An older...
, according to his future wife.
The couple had no children together, and the marriage was kept secret until 1998. Apparently the prince feared his mother would disapprove. Alexander's marriage contravened Article 85 of the Belgian constitution
Constitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
, which deprived of the right of succession
Line of hereditary succession
Successor to hereditary title, office or like, in case of the heritage being indivisible, goes to one person at a time. There are also other sorts of order of succession than hereditary succession .The hereditary line of succession may be limited to heirs of the body, or may pass also to collateral...
to the throne any descendant of King Leopold I
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
who marries without the sovereign's permission.
Although sometimes the royal title is prefixed to her name (i.e., Princess Léa) as for other females who have married into the royal family, that style is not used at the Belgian court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
nor by the government, and she is otherwise referred to as "Princess Alexandre of Belgium". She explained in a May 2008 interview with Point de Vue, "On 2 December 1991, a royal decree declared that henceforth the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium would no longer be transmitted by marriage, but would be created by royal decree. We have no regrets, no rancor."
In 2008 she published a book of photographs from the life of her husband and his family, called Le Prince Alexandre de Belgique, because she felt that he was too little known in Belgium.