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Queen Paola of Belgium. Paola Ruffo di Calabria (born 11 September 1937) is a member of the Belgian royal family who was Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, King Albert II, from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.
King Albert II and Queen Paola with US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the Royal Palace of Brussels in 2005. In 1958, Albert went to the Vatican to witness the coronation of Pope John XXIII. At a reception at the Belgian Embassy, he met Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria.
King Leopold III, accompanied by Prince Baudouin and Prince Albert, returned to Belgium on 22 July 1950. On 2 July 1959, Prince Albert married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria, born of a princely family in Italy.
- How They Met
- Location, Location
- The Ceremony
- The Wedding Gown
- Life as King Albert II and Queen Paola
Prince Albert met Paola Ruffo di Calabria when he travelled to Rome in November 1958 for the coronation of Pope John XIII. It was at the reception following the ceremony that the pair first locked eyes. According to Royal Central, Albert didn't tell Paola he was a royal at first, eventually confessing he was heir to the Belgian throne. Albert and P...
Originally, Prince Albert and Paola had planned to marry at the Vatican, however there was a strong feeling in Belgium they should marry at home. The couple persisted with their plans to wed in Paola's native Italy, however the Pope was pressured to decline their request, despite the fact the bride-to-be was the daughter of the late Fulco, Prince R...
Prince Albert and Paola were married on 2 July, 1959, with a civil ceremony in the Empire Salon of the Royal Palace of Brussels. A religious service followed at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula. According to Vogue, the bride was so nervous during the ceremonies that she had to be comforted by her new mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. Paola w...
Paola wore a simple woven satin gown with three-quarter sleeves and a bow at the waist, fastened with a small brooch. It is one of the very few wedding dresses that has never been attributed to a known designer, and to this day the people responsible for the beautiful creation haven't been named. The dress also featured a long full skirt and a five...
Albert and Paola had been married for 10 years before King Albert II ascended the Belgian throne, and while their relationship has had all the makings of a fairy tale, it hasn't been without drama. King Albert II ruled Belgium until 21 July, 2013, when he stepped own in favour of the couple's eldest son, Philippe. In January 2020, the former king a...
Jan 31, 2020 · Over 20 years ago, Mario Danneels set out to write a biography on Queen Paola of Belgium—and ended up uncovering her husband King Albert II’s longstanding affair and illegitimate daughter.
Jul 1, 2024 · They were an unexpected king and queen and their royal romance has weathered several storms but King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium are marking their sixty fifth wedding anniversary. The...
Albert II and his wife Paola are currently staying at the couple's holiday home in Châteauneuf-Grasse, in the south of France. They will soon return to Belgium to celebrate his birthday in their Belvédère castle residence in Laeken, hosting around 70 guests, including their children and grandchildren.
