Wedding of Prince Albert of Belgium and Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria

Happy Anniversary to King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, who got married on this day in 1959. The then Prince of Liege and Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria have three children, and succeeded his childless brother to the Belgian Throne in 1993. After his abdication, the couple now live in retirement. Take a look at scenes from their wedding below-

Embed from Getty Images

The civil ceremony was held in the Empire Salon of the Royal Palace of Brussels, and the brief service was conducted by the Mayor of Brussels, Lucien Cooremans. After the marriage register was signed, the couple emerged from the Palace and processed through the streets of Brussels to the religious ceremony.

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

The religious ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, and was conducted by Cardinal Jozef-Ernest van Rooey, Primate of Belgium. After exchanging their vows and rings, the Cardinal gave an address in which he referred to Paola as “a lovely princess”, and told her that “Italy sends you to Belgium as a ray of its beautiful sun and a reflection of its ardent soul.” The couple were read a message from the Pope before the final blessing, and then processed out of the cathedral to be met with tremendous cheers from the crowds gathered outside. In the evening, there was a grand Banquet held at the Castle of Laeken, after which the couple left for their honeymoon in Spain.

Embed from Getty Images

Prince Albert wore Naval uniform with the sash and star of the Order of Leopold and the collar of the Order of Malta. The new Princess Paola wore a heavy white satin gown with her heirloom lace veil, which was the main focus of the outfit. made of Brussels lace, the piece was first worn at the wedding of her Belgian grandmother in 1877, and later by her mother. It has since been used by her daughter and two daughters-in-law at their weddings.

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 4.13.30 PM

7 thoughts on “Wedding of Prince Albert of Belgium and Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria

  1. Ah, the Dolce Paola! There was a song about her back in the day. She was a very beautiful lady- and indeed still is! I love her beautiful veil, it’s absolutely stunning! Even though they had their troubles earlier in their marriage they were able to overcome them and have reached their mature years happily together. And many more, I say! 🙂

    1. I forgot to include a piece on wardrobe, since I was rushing out when writing and scheduling these posts, but I’ll update that later, with information on her stunning veil, which was made of Brussels lace, but came from her family!

  2. That’s a lovely story about the lace veil. It was already more than 100 years old when Princess Astrid wore it! Imagine having such an exquisite heirloom to wear on your wedding day. Simply marvelous! I’m hoping Princess Elisabeth will wear it when her happy day arrives.

  3. I Think Queen Paola of Belgium Is on the same level as Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess Grace of Monaco,

Leave a Reply to NinaRoseCancel reply