28. Her Wedding Was Scandalous
Leopold and Astrid’s wedding might have been a romance come to life—but it caused a huge scandal. Before their church wedding in Belgium, they had a no-fuss civil ceremony at the Swedish Royal Palace. And that’s not all. The man who officiated, Carl Lindhagen, was the first non-clergy member to ever marry a royal couple, and—gasp—he was a known socialist.
28. She Received an Incredible Wedding Present
Let me tell you, it really pays to marry a prince. As a wedding present, the Belgian government gifted Princess Astrid with an exquisite tiara featuring 11 enormous diamonds, coming courtesy of the famed Belgian jeweler Van Bever. Astrid might have been a simple girl who knew how to get down and dirty, but she wasn’t saying no to that.
29. She Was an Overnight Success
After her royal engagement, Astrid became an instant sensation. Wax figures of the Swedish beauty popped up in shops, and news footage of the future Queen of the Belgians played at cinemas. People even started to write into publications for Astrid’s famous “endive salad” recipe that had so successfully bagged her a prince. Endives: The gift that keeps on giving.
30. She Had to Learn to Be a Princess
Like so many of the smart royal set, Astrid went to finishing school, completing her highborn education at Akerstrom-Soderstrom school. While there, she studied typical feminine “accomplishments” like piano, ballet, and childcare. The future Queen Consort of Belgium even volunteered at an orphanage in her spare time, as one does.
31. She Has Her Own Dessert
Astrid and her family were so integral to Sweden’s sense of identity, they even had a cake named after them. The Swedish “Princess Cake” is a layered confection topped with marzipan and named after Astrid and her siblings; their former teacher created the delicacy when they were young. You know you’ve made it when someone can eat you.
32. Her Whole Family Was Famous
Astrid’s beautiful sisters did almost as well for themselves as the Snow Princess herself. Her eldest sister Margaretha married Prince Axel of Denmark, while the middle sister Martha wed the Crown Prince of Norway. Sadly, Martha passed before she could make it to the throne. Of course, this was nothing compared to Astrid’s fate…
33. She Was a Fashion Legend
These days, everybody knows that Stockholm girls are the coolest girls, but Astrid and her sisters practically invented it. She and her siblings Margaretha and Martha often went shopping—unaccompanied—for the latest trends on the streets of Stockholm. Princess Astrid in particular became famous for her iconic sense of style.
34. She Made a Lasting Impression
While some royal wives have found it hard getting accepted into the family (ahem, Meghan Markle), Astrid had no trouble. Elisabeth reportedly once said of the sweet, charming Astrid: “I might not…have succeeded in finding for my son an ideal bride, but Leopold has done more, he has found for me an ideal daughter-in-law!”
35. She Earned an Iconic Nickname
Although she only lived for a brief time before her life was cut tragically short, Astrid earned herself some legendary nicknames. People called her the “Snow Queen” or the “Snow Princess,” and it even snowed on her wedding day to Leopold. Once the common people went wild over her, they also named her “The Queen of Hearts.”
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36. Defiance Ran in Her Family
If there’s one thing to know about Queen Astrid, it’s that she came from fiery Swedish stock. Mama Ingeborg in particular was one formidable woman. In protest of Germany during WWII, the Queen Dowager even once blocked off the palace window that faced the German embassy. As we’ve seen, beneath her serene surface, Astrid could be just as radical.
37. She Loved Milk…a Weird Amount
Got milk? Astrid did. The Queen patronized a number of charitable initiatives—but one was more than a little bizarre. In order to encourage Belgians to drink healthy beverages and lay off those famous lagers, Astrid helped set up “Milk Week” and even hired one of her courtiers to report on milk regulations around the world. Uh, whatever floats your boat, Astrid.
38. She Shared a Heartbreaking Bond
Astrid and her siblings might have had some royal rivalries, but they stuck with each other when it really counted. In 1932, Princess Martha expressed her love toward Astrid with a heartwarming gesture: She named her newborn girl “Astrid” in honor of her aunt. But in a few short years, that touching act would turn utterly heartbreaking.
39. She Was Famously Beautiful
Astrid wasn't just gorgeous, she was famous worldwide for her beauty. With her light hair, wide eyes, and sweet face, Astrid was the "pretty" one of her family and, when she came of age, one of the most eligible royals in Europe.
40. She Went on One Final Trip
In August 1935, Astrid and Leopold were on yet another incognito holiday, this time in Switzerland. They had brought their two eldest children along to their Swiss villa for most of the trip, but late in the month, they sent the tykes back to Belgium with their nannies to sneak in some alone time together. Sadly, it couldn’t have gone worse.
41. Her Informal Attitude Turned Fatal
Of course, mommy and daddy’s solo holiday started out picturesque, with the king and queen deciding to take a mountain hike among the Swiss pear trees on August 29, 1935. Because these were no-fuss monarchs, they even insisted that their chauffeur sit in the back seat on the way there, while Leopold drove and Astrid navigated. This was a fatal mistake.
42. Her Husband Was Guilty
Some time along their drive to the hiking path, Astrid, who was referring to her map, pointed at something outside of her window. It was an innocent enough gesture, but it had devastating consequences. Leopold, following her hand, likely took his eyes off the steep, mountainous road for one second. A second was all it took.
43. She Met a Tragic End
In the next few moments, a horrific event occurred—and Leopold could never take it back or forgive himself for it. With the king at the wheel, their car tilted off the road, plummeted down a steep slope, and quickly careened into a tree. The force threw Leopold entirely out of the car…but when the chaos cleared, he realized his beloved wife had it much worse.
44. She Never Stopped Fighting for Her Life
Astrid was a stubborn fighter until the end, and as the car rattled down the mountain slope, she had tried to save herself by opening the door and rolling out. Tragically, that’s not what happened. The vehicle was simply moving too fast and too violently, and the Queen was also thrown from the car, her body slamming into another pear tree.
45. No One Could Save Her
Since the King and Queen of Belgium had been traveling incognito and with very little retinue, there was no one around to provide immediate medical attention. Sadly, this is exactly what Astrid needed. Instead, she passed at the scene of the accident, just after 9:30 am on the beautiful August morning. After her came the deluge.
46. The World Mourned Her Deeply
When the world heard the shocking news, it went into instant mourning. Throngs of people attended the Snow Queen’s funeral, though none were able to believe something so horrific had happened to someone so good. Astrid now lies in the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in her adopted home of Brussels. But it wasn’t the last we heard of her…
47. She Has a Grisly Memento
To this day, there are still macabre tokens of Astrid’s final minutes near where she perished. A museum close to the site of her fatal accident keeps not only a shard from the windshield of her wrecked car but also a log of the pear tree her body collided into.
48. Her Fatal Crash Site Is Still There
For those less into gothic vibes, mourners also built a small chapel on the crash site as well, and it remains a popular pilgrimage destination for those who want to keep the Snow Queen’s memory alive and well.
49. Her Memory Lives on
Today, Astrid still lives on. No fewer than two of her grandchildren are reigning monarchs: King Phillipe of Belgium and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. She is also second cousins with Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip.
50. Her Husband Performed a Bitter Penance
Leopold was wracked with grief and guilt after killing his beloved wife. In fact, he could barely stand to think of that fateful day. So he made a chilling request. Instead of ever recovering the vehicle he was driving, he ordered his men to sink the car into the depths of Lake Lucerne, near where the royal couple fatally crashed.
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