Paola Ruffo di Calabria Born: 11 SEP 1937 Forte dei Marmi Sex: F Ancestors:
Father:
Child: Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Mother:
Marriage(s) and Relationships: Married to: King of Belgium Albert II 2 JUN 1959, Royal Palace, Brussels, BELGIUM
Child:Prince of Belgium Philippe Leopold Louis Child:Princess of Belgium Astrid Child:Prince of Belgium LaurentNotes: Daughter of Principe Don Fulco di Calabria, 6. Duca di Guardia Lombarda,
1884-1946 and Luisa Gazelli, 1896-1989.
Source: Leo van de Pas,
Born in Forte dei Marmi (Italy) on September 11, 1937, Queen Paola is the
youngest daughter of Prince Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, hero Officer-Flyer
during W.W.I and of Countess Louisa Gazelli of Piedmont origin. The Ruffo
family consisted of seven children: three sons, one of whom died very
young in W.W.II and four girls, only two of whom are still alive. The
Queen was raised in Rome, where she finished a classic secondary school
programme with Latin and Greek. Her paternal grandmother, Laure Mosselman
du Chenoy, was Belgian. The Queen and King Albert met each other in 1958
as Albert, still Prince, was representing his brother King Baudouin at
the funeral of Pope Pius XII and the coronation of Pope John XXIII. They
were married on July 2, 1959 in Brussels. They have three children:
Prince Philippe (born on April 15, 1960), Princess Astrid (born on June
5, 1962) and Prince Laurent (born on October 19, 1963). Prince Lautent is
not the genetic son of King Albert.
Official activities and personal interests: The Constitution does not
provide a specific role for the Queen. In practice, however, she has
always participated in many public activities. She assists the King in
the exercise of his duties as a Head of State: working visits of a mainly
social nature, official ceremonies in Belgium and abroad, receptions with
country representatives and various cultural activities, such as concerts
and exhibitions.
The Queen takes a special interest in enhancing opportunities for all
children and adolescents, in issues ranging from primary education to
problems related to drugs; the recently reformed Queen Paola Foundation
strives to support private or public initiatives which help youngsters
facing poverty, fighting drug addiction or avoiding crime.
Queen Paola also maintains a voluminous correspondence with citizens of
all sorts, looking for help when confronted with unemployment, financial
misfortune, lack of housing or just asking for advice. Finding solutions
to these difficulties and following up are time consuming, but well worth
the Queen's efforts.
In addition to her social concerns, the Queen is equally interested in
both new and traditional craftsmanship. She often visits craftsmen and
encourages the exercise and training of traditional professions. In the
same area she has a strong interest in art history and more specifically,
in the preservation and restoration of our cultural heritage and of the
royal palace in particular.
As a nature lover, the Queen personally designed her own garden and she
closely supervises the maintenance of the various royal parks and
gardens. In her spare time, the Queen loves being with her children and
grandchildren. Other hobbies include walking in the forest with the King,
playing tennis, reading, listening to music, watercolour painting and
interior decoration.
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