Paola, Queen of the Belgians, born Donna Principessa Paola Margherita Maria Antonia Consiglia dei Principi Ruffo di Calabria (born September 11, 1937, Forte dei Marmi, Italy), is the
queen consort of Albert II of Belgium. She
is the youngest daughter of Prince Don Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, 6th
Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884-1946), and his wife, the former Countess
Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896-1989). She is of Italian and Belgian ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her
youth.
Princess Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria married HRH Prince Albert, Prince of
Liège, in Brussels, Belgium, on July 2, 1959. The couple has three children:
Queen Paola speaks fluent French, Italian,
English and German. Some people criticize her
inability to speak Dutch which is the mother tongue of nearly 60% of all Belgians.
Titles
- Princess Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (1937 - 1959)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Liège (1959 - 1993)
- Her Majesty The Queen of The Belgians (Since 1993)
See also
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
