Queen Paola of Belgium

Paola (born Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria;[1] born 11 September 1937) was Queen of the Belgians from 1993 to 2013 as the wife of the former King Albert II.

Paola
Queen Paola in 2006
Queen consort of the Belgians
Tenure9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013
BornDonna Paola Margherita Giuseppina Maria Antonia Consiglia Ruffo di Calabria
(1937-09-11) 11 September 1937
Villa Claudia, Forte dei Marmi, Kingdom of Italy
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1959)​
Issue
HouseRuffo di Calabria
FatherFulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria
MotherLuisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Early life and family background

Paola Margherita Maria-Antonia Consiglia Ruffo di Calbria was born in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy, the seventh and youngest child of Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884–1946), who was World War I Italian flying ace.[2] Her mother was Donna Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989), a matrilineal descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution. She is of Italian and French ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her youth.

Queen Paola is fluent in Italian, French, German and English. Less fluent, and the cause of occasional criticism, is her Dutch, the mother tongue of nearly 60 percent of Belgians.[3]

Ademarus Rufus, who died in 1049, held the title of Comes in southern Italy and Siggerio Ruffo became Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II's grand marshal of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1235.[2] The family divided into two branches after the 14th century: the Ruffo di Calabria and the Ruffo di Scaletta, to the former of which the Queen belongs.

Queen Paola's brother, Don Fabrizio Ruffo di Calabria-Santipau (1922–2005), head of the entire family from 1975, was historical heir to the titles of Prince of Scilla, Prince of Palazzolo, Duke of Guardia Lombarda, Count of Sinopoli, Marquis of Licodia Eubea, Count of Nicotera, Baron of Calanna and of Crispano, Patrician of Naples.[2]

Queen Paola is related to historically eminent Roman and southern Italian noble families, including the Colonna, Orsini, Pallavicini, Alliata and Rospigliosi. Among her distinguished ancestors of the French aristocracy were the American general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and the Dukes of Noailles.

Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1946, the Princes Ruffo di Calabria have become connected by marriage, in addition to the Belgian royal family, to such formerly reigning dynasties as the Orléans, the Savoys and the Bonapartes.[4]

Marriage and family
Paola in 1967

In 1958, the Prince of Liège went to the Vatican to witness the coronation of Pope John XXIII. At a reception at the Belgian embassy, the Prince met Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria. "We were both shy, so we only talked a little," Paola said later about their first meeting. Shy but smitten, Prince Albert later proposed marriage to Paola, and she accepted. Their engagement was announced at the Chateau of Laeken in 1959.[5] The Prince of Liège married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria at St. Goedele Cathedral in Brussels on 2 July 1959.

The couple have three children:

Health

In 2015, the court announced Queen Paola was taking "a period of total rest" following doctors' orders. They also announced that she had to cancel a planned visit to the Biennale in Venice. Further communications were kept private. The Queen sent a message to Grosio, where she was expected to visit the residence of her aunt the Marchioness Margherita Pallavicini Mossi.[6][7] Newspapers believed that the Queen suffered from a stroke during the holiday.[8] The palace later announced she was being treated for a cardiac arrhythmia.[9]

Activities
Queen Paola walks with Laura Bush during a tour of the Royal Palace of Brussels in February 2005.

Apart from her activities in the company of King Albert II, Queen Paola devotes her time to social issues mainly in the social and cultural sphere.[10]

The Queen has demonstrated interest in the contemporary Belgian arts, visiting Venetian Biennale several times. She has acquired works of Jan Fabre, Michael Borremans and others for the Royal collection.[11] The Queen has often met with such artists as Luc Tuymans and Dirk Braeckman.

The Queen takes a keen interest in the protection and preservation of Belgium's heritage. She makes numerous visits to cultural sites, from Beguine convents to early 19th century industrial facilities.[10] Queen Paola is interested in both traditional and contemporary crafts, and takes every opportunity to encourage the exercise and teaching of craft professions.[10]

Queen Paola keeps abreast of contemporary art and regularly supports major exhibitions and artistic performances both in Belgium and abroad. On the initiative of Queen Paola, contemporary artists have had the opportunity to design and make original works within the Royal Palace of Brussels.[10]

In 1992, Queen Paola established the Queen Paola Foundation. The foundation focused on integration and training for young people. The foundation's activities are geared towards social integration, support for teachers at all levels of the education system and schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.[10]

Queen Paola is an honorary chairman of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and Missing Children Europe.[10]

Arms

Alliance Coat of Arms of King Albert II
and Queen Paola of the Belgians
Alliance Coat of Arms of former King Albert
and Queen Paola of Belgium
Since 2019
Royal Monogram of Queen Paola
of Belgium
Dual Cypher of King Albert II and
Queen Paola of the Belgians

Titles, styles and honours

Titles and styles

Honours
See also: List of honours of the Belgian Royal Family by country

National

Foreign

Ancestry

See also

Note
  1. Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to her marriage, Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg and Le Petit Gotha, among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to her and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family, Paola's father having received the title of prince in the Italian nobility in 1928 from King Victor Emmanuel III, heritable according to masculine primogeniture.

References
  1. Although The Belgian Monarchy website attributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to marriage, Burke's Peerage 1973, The Descendants of Louis XIII 1999, Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels 2001, La Descendance de Marie-Thérèse de Habsburg 1996, and Le Petit Gotha 2002 among others, accord only the noble prefix of Donna to her and her sisters, reserving the title Principessa for the wife of the head of the family
  2. Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Ruffo". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp. 522–529. ISBN 3-7980-0824-8.
  3. "Koningin van België neemt bad Nederlands". volkskrant.nl. 25 November 1998. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  4. de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 702 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
  5. "Prince Albert Engagement - British Pathé". Britishpathe.com. 15 April 1959. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  6. "Italiaans dorp ziet Paola weer afzeggen". HLN.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  7. "Valtellina News - notizie da Sondrio e provincia » Annullata la visita della regina Paola del Belgio a Tirano e Grosio". Valtellinanews.it. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  8. "Koningin Paola kreeg beroerte". HLN.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  9. Gert's Royals [@Gertsroyals] (15 November 2015). "The Belgium Palace confirmed that Queen Paola was receiving treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmia" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. "Queen Paola". The Belgian Monarchy Official Website.
  11. "Koningin Paola bestelt kunst bij Michaël Borremans - Kunst - KnackFocus.be". Focus.knack.be. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  12. Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 226. ISBN 0-220-66222-3
  13. Willis, Daniel, The Descendants of Louis XIII, Clearfield Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1999, p. 100. ISBN 0-8063-4942-5.
  14. Enache, Nicolas. La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 54, 58. French.
  15. "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". Quirinale.it. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  16. Gettyimages.be, Paola wearing the Decoration of Honour and Sovereign Military Order of Malta
  17. "Paola et Albert à Rome - L'actualité des royautés". Royautes.ek.la. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  18. "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). 23 April 2012. p. 53.
  19. "The Belgian Monarchy". Monarchie.be. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
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  22. "Finnish President Visit To Belgium - Day One Photos and Images". Getty Images. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  23. Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  24. "Ar Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni apbalvoto personu reģistrs". President.lv. Archived from the original (DOC) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  25. "The late Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg nee Princess of Belgium with her sister in law Queen Paola of the Belgians each wear the g… | Pinteres…". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  26. "Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembou Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  27. "Photographic image : Queen Paola and King Albert of Belgium" (JPG). Static1.purepeople.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  28. "Dutch Royal Family Make State Visit To Belgium - Day 1 Photos and Images". Getty Images. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  29. "2006.06.20____.jpg (image)". 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  30. "Photographic image" (JPG). Upload.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  31. "Photographic image : Prinses Beatrix en Prins Claus" (JPG). Upload.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  32. "Norwegian Royals Make State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  33. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. "The Belgian Monarchy". Monarchie.be. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  35. Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  36. "Portuguese State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  37. "Portuguese State Visit To Belgium Photos and Images". Getty Images. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  38. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  39. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. "Photographic image" (JPG). 3.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  41. "Queen Silvia wore this tiara for one of the dinners during the Swedish State Visit to Belgium in May 2001. | Cameo Tiara | Pinterest | The Dinner, Belgium and …". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  42. "Editorial & News Images: News Photography, Pictures, Awards, Events, Sports, Celebrity Photos | Getty Images". Corbisimages.com. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  43. The Royal Forums
Queen Paola of Belgium
Born: 11 September 1937
Belgian royalty
Preceded by
Fabiola de Mora y Aragón		 Queen consort of the Belgians
1993–2013		 Succeeded by
Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz
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