- Queen Fabiola of Belgium
-
Fabiola 
Queen consort of the Belgians Tenure 15 December 1960—31 July 1993 Spouse Baudouin of Belgium Full name Fabiola Fernanda María de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida House House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Father Gonzalo de Mora Fernández Riera del Olmo Mother Blanca de Aragon y Carrillo de Albornoz Barroeta-Aldamar y Elio Born 11 June 1928
Madrid, SpainQueen Fabiola of Belgium (née Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón; born Madrid, 11 June 1928) is the widow of King Baudouin of Belgium. She was Queen consort of the Belgians for 33 years. Since her husband's death in 1993, she has been styled HM Queen Fabiola of Belgium.
Contents
Biography
Life before marriage
Fabiola de Mora y Aragón (born in Madrid, Spain) was the fourth daughter of Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández, Riera y del Olmo, 4th Marquess of Casa Riera, 2nd Count of Mora (1887—1957) and his wife, Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz, Barroeta-Aldamar y Elio, 4th Marchioness of Casa Riera, 2nd Countess of Mora (1892—1981). She was a sister of Jaime de Mora y Aragón, a Spanish actor and jet set playboy. Her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain.
Before her marriage she published an album of 12 fairy tales (Los doce Cuentos maravillosos), one of which ("The Indian Water Lilies") would get its own pavilion in the Efteling theme park in 1966.
Marriage to King Baudouin
Queen Fabiola during her state visit in Germany (München, 1971)
On 15 December 1960, Fabiola married Baudouin, who had been king of the Belgians since his father's abdication in 1951. At the marriage ceremony in the church of Laeken she wore a 1926 Art Deco tiara that had been a gift of the Belgian state to her husband's mother, Princess Astrid of Sweden upon her marriage to Léopold III of the Belgians. Her dress of satin and mink was designed by the couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. TIME magazine, in its 26 September 1960, issue, called Doña Fabiola, who was a hospital nurse at the time of her engagement, "Cinderella Girl" and described her as "an attractive young woman, though no raving beauty" and "the girl who could not catch a man." On the occasion of her marriage, Spanish bakers set out to honor Fabiola and created a type of bread, "the fabiola", which is still made and consumed on a daily basis in many Spanish cities.
The royal couple had no children, as the queen's five pregnancies ended in miscarriage. There are reports, however, that she had a stillborn child in the mid 1960s. Fabiola openly spoke about her miscarriages in 2008: 'You know, I myself lost 5 children. You learn something from that experience. I had problems with all my pregnancies, but you know, in the end I think life is beautiful'.[1]
Widowhood
Baudouin died in 1993 and was succeeded by his younger brother, the Prince of Liège who became Albert II of the Belgians. Queen Fabiola moved out of the Royal Palace of Laeken to the more modest Stuyvenbergh Castle and reduced her public appearances in order not to overshadow her sister-in-law, Queen Paola.
Admired for her devout Roman Catholicism and involvement in social causes particularly those related to mental health, children's issues and women's issues in the Third World, Queen Fabiola is a recipient of the 2001 Ceres Medal, in recognition of her work to promote rural women in developing countries. The medal was given by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). She's also honorary president of King Baudouin Foundation.
Guido Derom, an explorer, named a newly-discovered range of Antarctic mountains in her honour in 1961. She also has several varieties of ornamental plants named after her.
Queen Fabiola was hospitalized with pneumonia on 16 January 2009, and spent 15 days there, with her condition being described as "serious".[2] She subsequently made a good recovery and was attending public functions by the following May.
Death threats
In July 2009, anonymous death threats were published by newspapers. According to these Queen Fabiola was to be shot with a crossbow. She responded to the threats during the Belgian national holiday celebrations on 21 July by wittily waving an apple to the crowd - a reference to the William Tell folk tale.[3] Subsequent threats by an individual said to have a similar signature to the July 2009 threat-writer were received again in January 2010.[4] Her appearances have been less frequent in recent months, possibly due to these threats or residual health issues.
Linguistic skills
According to official sources, in addition to Spanish, Queen Fabiola is fluent in French, Dutch, English, German and Italian.[5]
Titles
Styles of
Queen Fabiola of Belgium
Reference style Her Majesty Spoken style Your Majesty Alternative style Ma'am - Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón (1928–1960)
- Her Majesty The Queen of the Belgians (1960–1993)
- Her Majesty Queen Fabiola of Belgium (1993–present)
See also
Ancestry
Ancestors of Queen Fabiola of Belgium 16. Pedro de Mora y Rossell 8. Vicente de Mora y Boet 17. Ana Boet 4. Gonzalo de Mora y Riera 18. Antonio Jaime Francisco Riera y Morán 9. Rosa Riera y Roses 19. Ana María Teresa Roses y Diaz del Pedregal 2. Gonzalo de Mora, 4th Marquis of Casa Riera 20. Victorio Fernández Lascoiti, 1st Count of Lascoiti 10. Tomás Vicente Fernández y Gurich 21. 5. María de la Concepción Fernández del Olmo, 1st Countess of Mora 22. 11. Antonia Juliana Faustina del Olmo y Candano 23. 1. Fabiola de Mora y Aragón 24. Manuel Miguel de Aragón e Ibáñez 12. Miguel de Aragón y García del Mazo 25. María de los Dolores García del Mazo y Tejo 6. Cesáreo de Aragón y Barroeta-Aldamar 26. Joaquín Francisco de Barroeta-Aldamar y Hurtado de Mendoza 13. María del Pilar de Barroeta-Aldamar y González de Echavarri 27. Josefa González de Echavarri y Fernández de la Cuesta 3. Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz 28. Anastacio Carrillo de Albornoz y Arango 14. Anastasio Carrillo de Albornoz, 5th Marquis of Casa Torres 29. Josefa Margarita de Cárdenas y Chaves 7. Blanca Carrillo de Albornoz, 6th Marquise of Casa Torres 30. Fausto de Elío, 7th Marquis of Vesolla 15. María Micaela de Elío y Magallón 31. María Josefa de Magallón y Campuzano References
- ^ Koningin Fabiola had vijf miskramen
- ^ Belgium: Queen Fabiola in serious condition with pneumonia
- ^ Belgium's cool Queen Fabiola defies would-be assassins with jokey apple gesture
- ^ Queen Fabiola's death threats
- ^ Monarchie.be
External links
- Queen Fabiola - Official website of The Belgian Monarchy
- Queen Fabiola: The Woman Behind The Hairdo - Website The Royal Universe
Belgian royalty Vacant Title last held byAstrid of SwedenQueen consort of the Belgians
1960-1993Succeeded by
Paola Ruffo di CalabriaBelgian princesses by marriage 1st Generation 2nd Generation Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria3rd Generation 4th Generation 5th Generation *did not have a royal or noble title by birthBelgian consorts Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria (1993-present)
Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón (1960-1993) · Princess Astrid of Sweden (1934–1935) · Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (1909-1934) · Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria (1865–1902) · Princess Louise of Orléans (1832-1850)Categories:- 1928 births
- Living people
- Queens consort
- Belgian royal consorts
- Spanish nobility
- Belgian Roman Catholics
- Belgian nurses
- Belgian people of Spanish descent
- Collectors of fairy tales
- Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium)
- People from Madrid
- Belgian princesses
- Grand Cordons of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
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