Prince Lorenz of Belgium
| Prince Lorenz | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archduke of Austria-Este(more) | |||||
 Prince Lorenz at thewedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Swedenin 2010 | |||||
| Born | 16 December 1955 Belvedere Clinic,Boulogne-Billancourt,Hauts-de-Seine,France | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| House | Austria-Este | ||||
| Father | Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este | ||||
| Mother | Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta | ||||
 |
|
|
Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este(born 16 December 1955) is a member of theBelgian royal familyas the husband ofPrincess Astrid of Belgium.He is the head of theHouse of Austria-Este,a cadet branch of theHouse of Habsburg-Lorraine;he has held this position since 1996.
Early life[edit]
Prince Lorenz was born at Belvedere Clinic inBoulogne-Billancourt,Hauts-de-Seine,Franceas the second child and eldest son ofRobert, Archduke of Austria-Este,and his wife, Archduchess Margaret (néePrincess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta). He is the grandson ofCharles I of Austria,the last Emperor of Austria.
He and his uncle,Carl Ludwig,complained about the constitutional provision that prohibited members of the formerruling dynastyfrom running in the Austrian presidential elections, and the terms under which their family was banished from the country. Their subsequent appeal to theEuropean Commission for Human Rightswas ruled inadmissible by the court.[1]Further, in June 2011, theHabsburg Lawwas repealed by theAustrian Parliament.
Marriage[edit]
On 22 September 1984, atChurch of Our Blessed Lady of the SabloninBrussels,Prince Lorenz marriedPrincess Astrid of Belgium,the only daughter of the then-Prince and Princess of Liège, laterKing Albert IIandQueen Paola.The couple has five children:Prince Amedeo,Princess Maria Laura,Prince Joachim,Princess Luisa Maria, and Princess Laetitia Maria. Prince Lorenz is the godfather to Prince Carl-Johan of Nassau, youngest child ofPrince Jean of Luxembourg,and Count Costantino Secco di Aragona, the oldest son of his cousin,Archduchess Catharina-Maria of Austria.
Patronages[edit]
Since 2004, Lorenz has served as the honorary president of the Council of theKoninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden van België/Association Royale des Demeures Historiques de Belgique.[2]Since 2005, he has also served as the Patron ofEuropae Thesauri,an association of European cathedral and church treasuries.[3]
Lorenz also served as deputy chairman of the Société des Amis of theAlmanach de Gotha.[4]In 2015, he was named a member of the Royal Crown Council of Romania.[5]
Title[edit]
The titlePrince of Belgiumwas granted to him by royal decree on 10 November 1995 by his father-in-law, KingAlbert II of Belgium.TheBelgian monarchyrefers to him as the Archduke of Austria-Este.[6]
Ancestry[edit]
Honours[edit]
National[edit]
House of Habsburg-Este:Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Eagle of Este
House of Habsburg:1,285th Knight of theOrder of the Golden Fleece
Belgium:Grand Cross of theOrder of Leopold[7]
Foreign[edit]
Germany:Grand Cross 1st Class of theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Luxembourg:Grand Cross of theOrder of Adolphe of Nassau
Netherlands:Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown
Montenegrin Royal Family:Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Prince Danilo I
Norway:Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit
Portugal:Grand Cross of theOrder of Prince Henry[8]
Romanian Royal Family:Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of the Crown
Spain:Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Civil Merit[9]
Sweden:Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of the Polar Star
Military ranks[edit]
Austria1980–:Austrian Armed Forces,Leutnantas Reserve Officer
References[edit]
- ^Decision made on 14 December 1989; case number 15344/89
- ^Association Royale des Demeures Historiques de Belgique: Conseil d'AdministrationArchived15 May 2008 at theWayback Machine
- ^Goosse, Georges."Membres - Europae Thesauri".europaethesauri.eu.Archived fromthe originalon 29 December 2020.Retrieved8 November2016.
- ^Almanach de Gotha,Société des Amis de l'Almanach de Gotha
- ^"EXCLUSIV: Personaj CHEIE, dat afară din Casa Regală a României - Flux24.ro".2 March 2016.
- ^"Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz".Official website of the Belgian Monarchy.Retrieved9 December2016.
- ^ministere des affaires etrangeres, du commerce exterieur et de la cooperation internationale (5 April 2002)."Arrêté Royal ordres nationaux ordre de leopold par arrete royal du 20 decembre 2000 a ete nomme: grand cordon le prince lorenz, otto, carl, amedeus, prince de belgique, archiduc d'autriche-este. par arrete royal du 23 novembre 2(...) commandeur le comte de liedekerke beaufort, humbert, president honoraire de l'association de la(...)".etaamb.openjustice.be(in French).Retrieved5 January2024.
- ^"Presidency of the Republic - Chancellery of Portuguese Honorary Orders".dre.pt.
- ^"Boletín Oficial del Estado"(PDF).
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Belgian royal princes
- 1955 births
- Living people
- Austria-Este
- Austrian princes
- Dukes of Modena
- Belgian people of Austrian descent
- Belgian people of Hungarian descent
- Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria
- Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
- Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star
- University of St. Gallen alumni
- Austrian people of Belgian descent