That being said, Paola was probably one of the most privileged babies of her day.
As the daughter of Italian royalty herself, Paola was already born with some combination of wealth and fame.
Meanwhile, her mother was Countess Luisa Gazelli.
Like many other young women of means, Paola had access to a world-class education.
In addition to these ancient languages, Paola learned about art history and contemporary literature.
In this delightful environment, the young princess thrived.
Of course, Italian was not the only language that Paola learned to appreciate during her childhood.
She was also said to have studied French, English, and even a bit of Dutch.
These linguistic capabilities allowed Paola to fall in love with traveling from a young age.
She was wealthy, worldly, well-educated, and extremely fashionable.
It certainly did not hurt that she was also considered a great beauty.
Thus, it was perhaps inevitable that Paola became the talk of the town.
The two began seeing each other in the late 1950s after crossing paths in Rome.
Soon, all eyes were on the attractive young couple, but especially on Paola.
Thus, it was not particularly difficult for Paola and Albert to convince their families to support the marriage.
Both royals were blue-blooded, good-looking, and most importantly Catholic.
A royal match was made.
Issues began to arise as soon as the couple began planning their nuptials.
Before a full-blown crisis developed, a deal was struck, and Paola and Albert agreed to marry twice.
In July 1959, the pair wed a civil ceremony, followed by a Catholic ceremony held in Brussels.
However, their relationship was overshadowed by what was then Belgium’s unstable political situation.
Albert has to welcome people on stretchers at Melsbroek airport.
Then came the major strikes of 1960-1961" (viaParis Match).
To make matters worse, Paola struggled to get acclimated to the long Belgian winters.
So the marriage started crumbling."
Within just a year of tying the knot, Paola gave birth to a son King Philippe.
In 1962, the royal pair expanded their family once more with a daughter, Princess Astrid.
They also welcomed a second son, Prince Laurent, in 1963.
Despite the couple’s flourishing family life, Albert and Paola failed to connect on a more romantic level.
According to Mario Danneels' chat with Vanity Fair, Albert and Sybille “found comfort with each other.
They bonded over their failing marriages basically.”
Their relationship is believed to have spanned for at least 15 years.
However, as they reveled in each other’s company, Paola suffered.
I didn’t know where to go" (via Paris Match).
This was exacerbated when Albert and Sybille welcomed a daughter, Princess Delphine, in 1968.
Despite Delphine’s royal titles, she was not originally recognized by her father.
As aroyal love child, she represented a major scandal one that both Albert and Sybille refused to admit.
Just before, I confided in a good friend.
I asked her to call Albert directly afterwards.
Normally a birth is a happy event.
For me, it was a catastrophe."
Sybille was not the only person from whom Delphine’s birth seemed catastrophic.
Paola also grappled with the event, which left her feeling even more miserable than before.
Before long, it was said that the princess wanted aroyal divorce.
However, apparently, she was subject to intimidation tactics before she could submit the paperwork.
Paola agreed to remain married, but the public could sense her misery.
I distanced myself from everything for ten years, from 1970 to more or less 1980.
I was often alone during these ten years.
I was very unhappy and very sad" (via Paris Match).
Unfortunately, though, as Paola grappled with her negative emotions, her public image took a hit.
Rather than simply withdrawing into her own sadness, Paola found other activities to absorb her time.
A passion for home, which I wanted to be attractive.
Among other things, very good cuisine" (via Paris Match).
In retrospect, Paola says that this is one of her biggest regrets.
With no heir to speak of, Baudouin was succeeded by Albert, making Paola queen.
For the Italian-born royal, her ascension to the throne represented a major shift in responsibilities.
No longer could she remain locked in a back room, ruminating over all that had gone poorly.
Now, she would need to invest time into larger projects of her own.
In Paola’s case, this meant doing her part to protect the cultural value of the palace.
She also doubled down on her project in the gardens, extending it to several different green spaces.
On one occasion, King Albert approached Paola with a declaration of love.
And while she could have brushed this sentiment aside, Paola found herself embracing it.
She has re-evaluated her priorities, choosing to value the people that she cares about the most.
As stated by theBelgian Monarchy, “Family plays a key role in Queen Paola’s life.
Like any grandmother, Queen Paola enjoys spending time in the company of her grandchildren.”
However, as an older woman, she feels more confident.
