Women beside the throne: the queens of Belgium

Louise-Marie, Marie-Henriette, Elisabeth, Astrid, Fabiola, Paola... We may know the names of the Belgian queens, but do we also know who they really are? After all, pious stories have been told about the wives of the Belgian kings, which have given these queens extraordinary and sometimes even fairytale proportions. The authors of this book puncture these myths. In Belgium, queen means the consort of the king. The Belgian constitution does not mention anything about the status of queen. Queens are supposed to live in the shadow of the king and to ensure the continuation of the hereditary monarchy. The first two Belgian queens did indeed lead a secluded existence, but that changed with Queen Elisabeth. She and the other queens of the twentieth century came more to the fore.
Who are these women? What is their family background? How did they become the husband of the crown prince or the king? How do they fulfil their role? All these questions and more are answered through six true portraits of six women who have helped shape the history of the Belgian monarchy.

Misjoe Verleyen studied history at the KU Leuven. She was an editor at Knack.