Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Fourth Child of Leopold & Astrid?

Was Queen Astrid pregnant when she died? Did King Leopold lose, not only his beloved wife, but his fourth child in the terrible car crash in Küssnacht? I have often heard this claim, yet, Astrid's best friend, Anna Sparre, makes no mention of a pregnancy in her account of the Queen's death. Recently, at the Alexander Palace Forums, I read that Anna did not believe the rumors, as Astrid had told her nothing about a pregnancy and Anna would have been the first to know. Apparently, the Queen's namesake and biographer, Astrid Bammens, also discounts the theory, and, certainly, there was never an official announcement of a pregnancy. Perhaps the stories are no more than speculation. Or, if Astrid was expecting a fourth child, perhaps she herself was unaware of it...

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