I just rememberd seeing a picture of PAstrid as a teenager with her mom then the princess of Liege, and although they are similar in looks, PAstrid lacked so much self confidence, her whole bodylanguage showed it. It is just recently that she has built up her self confidence. Her uneasiness with her mother was so aparant. I beleive it takes years to undo the harm done when not having a mother who is emotionally available to you. I am talking from experience...
There is a very sad, very telling photograph of Princess Astrid from 1976. It was first printed in Point de Vue to mark either the 25th wedding celebrations for Fabiola and Baudouin, or the 26th anniversary of Baudouin's succession.
Anyway, in the photo the entire Belgian RF are walking together in the park at Laeken...in the center are Baudouin/Fabiola holding hands as usual and looking as happy as could be. Surrounding the Royal couple are Albert, Paola and their three children. Paola and Albert are standing as far apart as possible(I think this was during their estrangement) and there is at least a foot of space between each of the Royal children-Philippe, Astrid and Laurent. None of them are smiling. Astrid is sort of staring at her feet while walking.
It is such a sad, ironic photo in many ways..Albert and Paola, the beautiful golden couple with their three healthy children and they all look miserable and are standing as far apart as possible.
Baudouin and Fabiola, who were so desperate for children and were denied their wish but as close and united as a couple could be.
I wish I knew how to scan photos so I could show you.
I don't mean to rehash this topic, but one of the earlier posters mentioned that perhaps Astrid was not a baby-person. I agree. I have never believed that Princess Astrid did not completely and genuinely love her children. Maybe she really wasn't a baby-person. I do not have children, but I love children. At the same time, I am not wild about babies. Maybe Astrid was dealing with some depression after each of her births, and this gave the nanny an impression that she didn't enjoy her babies. Either way, I think that it was not appropriate for the nanny to criticize Astrid the way that she did.
Nannies should't be there to raise children, nannies should be there to take care of them just for the time the parents are out! If there really was a trip to New York when the little child was only 10 days than Princess Astrid's obligation was to take her child with her!!!! Doesn't she brestfeed her?? Doesn't she miss her own daughter? Did we saw any other Princess working just 10 days after gaving birth? I don't think so!!! So maybe all these accusations are true! I feel very annoyed when I see all these royal kidsalways with nannies around them
If that is true, then the late Queen Fabiola would’ve been close to Astrid’s children, too. I think she was because from photos I saw of her funeral, there’s one of Joachim crying and Maria Laura was beside him with swollen eyes (from crying). She looked devastated. Laetitia also looked sad. I haven’t seen Amedeo looking sad because I haven’t checked all photos of them from that day but I assume he was saddened, too.Quoted from: Moomaiden23
For example I never see Philippe and Astrid being as affectionate with their own mother as they are to dowager Queen Fabiola who reportedly doted on them when they were children...
Indeed. Lucky for Diana, her affection for her children got much photographed and taken credit of as she was a Princess of Wales while Princess Astrid is a Princess of Belgium/Archduchess of Austria-Este who was more private and doesn’t stir so much interest like Diana. I am sure if we’d go through the family albums of Astrid & Lorenz, we could say she’d been as good as Diana (or even better – look at how her children grow up!) As a fan of Diana, I read a lot of info and several books about her and I could say she also had some flaws in being a mother (which I don’t want to discuss about in this thread).Quoted from: Moomaiden23
…ever since Princess Diana people seem to have gotten the strange idea that if one is not pictured drooling and fawning over one's children at all times they are an aloof or bad parent.