Princess Astrid of Belgium

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and is fifth in line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Biography

Princess Astrid was born one day before her father's 28th birthday at the Belvedere Chateau in Laeken, northern Brussels, and was named after her late paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden, the popular first wife of King Leopold III. Her godparents were her uncle Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, 7th Duke di Guardia Lombarda, and her aunt Hereditary Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Marriage and Issue

Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, subsequently head of the Archducal House of Astria-Este, on 22 September 1984 at Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon in Brussels. Lorenz is the eldest son of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915-1996), and his wife Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (1930-2022). Her husband was also created Prince of Belgian by Royal Decree on 27 November 1995.

Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children:

Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born on 21 February 1986 at Cliniques Saint-Luc in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels.

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born on 26 August 1988 at Cliniques Saint-Luc in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels, m. William Isvy

Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born on 9 December 1991 at Cliniques Saint-Luc in Woluwe-Sanit-Lambert, Brussels.

Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 11 October 1995 at Clinique St Jean in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels.

Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born on 23 April 2003 at Clinique St Jean in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels.

Royal Role

Astrid was formerly President of the Belgian Red Cross, a position which ended on 31 December 2007. She declined to stand again for election to the role in light of internal struggles in the organization in reconciling its Flemish-speaking and French branches, each of which seeks greater autonomy. The princess is also a colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces.

Her official residence is the Royal Castle of Laeken on the edge of Brussels.

She is a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee.

In April 2015 the Princess took over the reins of the Prince Albert Fund from her father King Albert I

Special Envoy

Princess Astrid has been many years a fierce advocate for landmine survivors rights, participating actively in the work of the Anti-Personal Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, since Belgium jointed in 1998.

In 2013, the Princess was named Special Envoy of the convention, and has promoted the acceptance of a global ban on landmines and promoted the rights of survivors in various UN meetings.

In 2014, she met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, to encourage Oman to join the treaty, which occurred a few months later.

In 2019, she carried out a mission to Lebanon to promote the convention. In Beirut she met with President Michel Aoun, and Minister of National Defense Elias Bou Saab.

Titles and Styles

5 June 1962-22 September 1984: Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium

22 September 1984-present: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Modena, Princess Imperial of Austria

National Honors