Queen Astrid Square

Queen Astrid (1905-1935) was the fourth monarch of the Belgians, wife of Leopold III and mother of the later kings Baudouin and Albert II. She is often compared to Diana or Grace, as she, like these famous princesses, was cherished by the people and died a tragic death at a young age. There are streets and squares named after her all over the country.
The Swedish Astrid was a princess who broke with many codes: she was raised in a civil manner, without too much protocol, worldly wise, and graduated as a childcare worker. The Belgian royal house had to take a moment when Leopold indicated that he wanted to marry this princess, who was also Protestant. The couple stood their ground: they were madly in love. The Belgian people embraced the princess when she arrived in Antwerp to visit her fiancé and immediately threw her arms around his neck. She was equally warm towards the public: upon the birth of her son Albert, she sent baptismal sugar to all children born on the same day and sometimes personally visited people who called for her help.

Astrid became queen at the age of 29. However, a year later, she died in a car accident; during an outing with his brand new convertible in Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland, the king lost control of the steering wheel. The car veered off into the ditch and the queen was thrown against a tree. Along with her, an unborn child possibly also perished. The funeral took place under massive public attention, and the queen acquired a near-mythical status.

zij-kant