Astrid of Sweden

Astrid of Sweden (17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935) was a member of the Swedish House of Bernadotte and later became Queen of the Belgians as the first wife of King Leopold III. After her marriage to Leopold in November 1926, she assumed the title of Duchess of Brabant. Astrid held the position of Queen of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until her death a little more than a year later. Known for her charitable efforts, she focused particularly on causes related to women and children. Astrid and Leopold had three children: their daughter, Joséphine-Charlotte, later became the Grand Duchess Consort of Luxembourg, while their sons both ascended the throne as King of the Belgians. Additionally, Astrid was the sister of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway (the wife of the future King Olav V) and a maternal aunt of King Harald V of Norway. Early life Princess Astrid was born on 17 November 1905 at her parents’ then-residence, the Arvfurstens Palats at Gustav Adolfs Torg in central Stockholm. She was the third child and youngest daughter of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, and his wife, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her father was the third son of Oscar II, King of Sweden and Norway, by his wife, Sophia of Nassau, and was a younger brother of King Gustav V of Sweden. Her mother was a daughter of King Frederick VIII of Denmark by his wife, Louise of Sweden, and the younger sister of kings Christian X of Denmark and Haakon VII of Norway.