The opening of the exhibition “Ogenblikken met Astrid / Astrid & nous regards croisés” at the Museum of the Dynasty in Brussels on 17 November 2005 attracted quite a lot of royals. The exhibition was organised on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Queen Astrid of the Belgians née Princess of Sweden (1905-1935). Among the guests were King Albert II (Astrid’s youngest son) and Queen Paola of the Belgians, Queen Fabiola of Belgium (widow of Astrid’s eldest son King Baudouin), Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (widower of Astrid’s daughter Joséphine-Charlotte), Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway (his mother was a sister of Astrid), princes and princesses.
The exhibition itself could be visited for a rather short time: 18 November 2005 to 15 January 2006. Having the days between Christmas and New Year off, I decided to go to Brussels in that period. The city was cold and snowy these days … The exhibition nice and warm. Interesting to walk around through her life from childhood to her death. Shown were among others also dresses, hats, jewelry and portraits.
Princess Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra of Sweden was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 17 November 1905 as daughter of Prince Carl of Sweden (1861-1951; son of King Oscar II of Sweden) and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (1878-1958; daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark). She had three siblings: Margaretha (1899-1977; married to Prince Axel of Denmark), Märtha (1901-1954; married to King Olav V of Norway) and Carl (1911-2003).
Astrid married civilly in Stockholm on 4 November 1926, and religiously in Brussels, Belgium, on 10 November 1926, the future King Leopold III of the Belgians (1901-1983) and had three children: Joséphine-Charlotte (1927-2005), Baudouin (1930-1993) and Albert II (1934-). She died in a tragic car accident at Küssnacht, Switzerland, on 29 August 1935. Her husband had become King of the Belgians upon the accidental death of his father Albert I on 17 February 1934. He abdicated in 1951 in favour of his eldest son Baudouin, who reigned until his death in 1993. The youngest son Albert II reigned from 1993 until his abdication in 2013.
