QUEEN ASTRID

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21733, 23 February 1934, Page 3

QUEEN ASTRID

BY M.V.M.

FIRST LADY OF BELGIUM DOMESTICITY AND CHARM

To-day, when republicanism lias superseded the" monarchical regime in so many parts of the world, the accession of a new queen to one of the few surviving thrones of Europe will in- ! evitably create a deep and world-wide interest. The ceremonial pomp and regal pageantry attending her coronation will doubtless lack something of the ostentatious and extravagant display which marked such events in the heyday of the European monarchies. Financial depression is now a more potent factor than ever before in ordering the lives of kings and queers, who prefer to win tho love and approval of their subjects by character and deed rather than by spectacle and pomp. But Astrid's outstanding beauty, the quiet charm of her manner, the simple diciiity of her bearing, will give tho ceremony a, vitality and beauty which a squandered fortune might fail to impart. Born at Stockholm in January, l'JO.j, the new Queen of tho Belgians was known, until her marriage to the Crown Prince Leopold in 1926, as Princess Astrid of Sweden. Although born of a union of the royal houses of Denmark and Sweden, her father being Prince Charles, Duke of Vastergotland. and her mother Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, Princess Astrid was. born into a comparatively poor family. Her mother, daughter of a generation which had witnessed the overthrow of most of the mightiest thrones of Europe during tho Napoleonic regime, was convinced of the insecurity of royal dynasties, and determined that in the event of a repetition of that upheaval, her daughters, of whom Astrid was third, should not be entirely unfitted for the world in which they would be obliged to earn their own livings. Thus from their earliest years, the Princesses were taught to be as familiar with the kitchen, the sewing room and the laundry as with the ballroom in their mother's house and the throno room in the palace of their royal uncle, Kinc Gustav V. Each of the sisters undertook a course of probationary training iii tho leading public hospitals in Sweden, their status beintc in 110 way different from that of nurses drawn from the rank and file of the people. In the course of her four months' probationary period. Princess Astrid learned to rise early, to scrub iloors, to clean windows, as well as to tend the sick, and her parents found that in hor vacations she could serve them a dinner worthy of an expert chef. A Versatile Princess Astrid's prowess in the kitchen need not suggest, however, that her activities were confined to tho domestic field. As well us a. capable housewife, she is an expert dancer, a leader of fashion and a keen sportswoman. Like her cousin, the Crown Princess of Sweden, she is an enthusiastic hockey player and liuntswoman. One of the most lovely women in Swedish, and, indeed, in European society, she enjoyed great popularity in her native country before lier marriage and lias siiicc become a favourite of the Belgian people. She possesses distinctive charm and vivacity, combining wit, independenco of spirit and beauty with a delightful and refreshing personality. Princess Astrid spent most of her carlv life 011 her father s model farm at Braaviken, but has since travelled extensively, especially in England and Fiance. It was during a visit to Spa. on which Princess Astrid accompanied her mother, that she was first presented to Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians. So good an impression did tho young Princess make that a mcetinc was arranged between Prince Leopold of Brabant and herself at Stockholm in March, 1926, in the hope that a marriage might bo arranged between them. During the following months tho Prince and Princess met frequently, spending the summer in an interchange of visits. When in September King Albert was able to announce their betrothal, he emphasised that ' theirs was a mutual choice, quite independent of State considerations. Their own hearts," ho added, "have set tho seal on their destiny." It was a radiant bride that met tho Crown Prince of the Belgians at the altar of the famous old Cathedral of St. Gudule in Brussels on November 10, 1926. Clad in a magnificent gown of white satin brocade, delicately embroidered with the Princess' favourito ileur de lys, she wore a veil of priceless Brussels lace, caught up in a wreath of myrtle, and carried a bouquet fashioned entirely of orange blossom. Her train, 10 yards in length, was supported by four pages. Language Difficulty

The civil function having already been enacted in Stockholm, tho religious part of the marriage ceremony was now performed by the Archbishop of Malmes. This was somewhat curtailed, owing to the vigorously independent stand taken by the bride in connection with her suggested conversion to Roman Catholicism. It was eventually conceded by tho Pope and by King Albert that, provided the marriaae was celebrated in a Roman Catholic Church, tho Princess might remain a Protestant. After tho ceremony, tho Royal pair departed for a prolonged lioneymoou in the south of France. An amusing detail in their first months of married life was the fact that, since the brido was unable to speak fluently in Belgian or French, and the bridegroom knew no Swedisli, they were obliged for a time to address each other in somewhat hesitating English. On October 10. 1927, a saluto of 51 guns announced the birth of a daughter, Josephine Charlotte, to the Crown Prince and Princess of the Belgians. Three years later, on September 7, 1930, amid great rejoicing, a salute of 101 guns welcomed their son into the world. But the tragic fate of tho King of the Belgians marks an even more important milestone in the life of the young Princess. It has made her not merely the first lady of her land, but a figure of national, and even international, importance in diplomatic and State affairs as well as in purely feminine spheres. Like her husband, she lias an exacting position to fill in that her predecessor was well-nigh perfect in the eyes of her subjects, but no doubt the charm, dignity and culture which made her so popular as Crown Princess will make her universally beloved as Queen.