Paola, Queen of the Belgians, born Donna Paola Margherita Maria Antonia Consiglia, Principessa Ruffo di Calabria (born September 11, 1937,
Forte dei Marmi, Italy), is the queen consort of
Albert II of Belgium. She is the sixth and youngest child of
Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884-1946). Her mother was Countess Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896-1989), a matrilineal descendant of
General Lafayette. She is of Italian and Belgian ancestry and was hailed as one of the leading beauties of Europe in her youth.
Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria married HRH Prince Albert, Prince of Liège, in Brussels, Belgium, on July 2, 1959. The couple have three children:
Queen Paola speaks fluent French, Italian, English and German. Some people criticize her inability to speak Dutch which is closely related to Flemish, the mother tongue of nearly 60% of all Belgians.
