Queen Paola of Belgium

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Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Queen of the Belgians
Image:Paola.jpg
Titles	HM The Queen of the Belgians (1993-) HRH The Princess of Liège (1959-1993) Princess Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (1937-1959)
Born	September 11 1937 (age 72)
Consort	August 9, 1993 - present
Consort to	Albert II
Issue	Philippe, Astrid, Laurent
Father	Fulco Ruffo di Calabria
Mother	Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano

Queen Paola Paola, born Princess Dona Paola Ruffo di Calabria (born September 11, 1937, Forte dei Marmi) is the queen consort of Albert II of Belgium. She is the youngest daughter of Prince Don Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884-1946), and his wife, the former Countess Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896-1989). She is of Italian and Belgian ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her youth.

Princess Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria married HRH Prince Albert, Prince of Liège, in Brussels, Belgium, on July 2, 1959. The couple has three children:

Philippe, Duke of Brabant who married Jonkvrouw Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz, a Belgian noblewoman who was created Princess of Belgium prior to her marriage;
Astrid who married Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, created Prince of Belgium;
Laurent, who married Claire Louise Coombs, an Anglo-Belgian former real estate agent, who was created Princess of Belgium prior to her marriage.

Queen Paola fluently speaks French, Italian, English and German. She seems to have, however, a poor ability to speak Dutch. She is often criticized for this weakness, because Dutch is the mother tongue of nearly 60% of all Belgians.

It is not widely known that Queen Paola is also a keen Stockport County supporter.