Duchess of Brabant nee Princess Astrid of Sweden Country Life Magazine Portrait November 13 1926

Duchess of Brabant nee Princess Astrid of Sweden Country Life Magazine Portrait, Frontispiece, November 13 1926. LX No. 1556

The featured frontispiece this week consists of a portrait of H.R.H. the Duchess of Brabant, Crown Princess of the Belgians. Princess Astrid of Sweden became Duchess of Brabant and Crown Princess upon her marriage.

• The Marriage: Princess Astrid married Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant (later King Leopold III) in November 1926.
• The Portrait: This issue of Country Life, published on November 13, 1926, commemorates the royal wedding.
• Historical Significance: Princess Astrid was greatly admired by the Belgian public and is the grandmother of the present monarch, King Philippe. The title “Duchess of Brabant” is traditionally held by the heir to the Belgian throne or their spouse.
• Present Day: The title is now held by her great-granddaughter, Princess Elisabeth, the current heir apparent and future Queen of the Belgians.
• Family: Princess Astrid and King Leopold III had three children:
  • Princess Joséphine-Charlotte (1927–2005), later Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
  • King Baudouin (1930–1993), fifth King of the Belgians
  • King Albert II (born 1934), sixth King of the Belgians, who abdicated in 2013

This is an authentic original page from Country Life magazine, part of the iconic series often affectionately referred to as the “Girls in Pearls” portraits — elegant society images that captured a distinctive era of British publishing and portraiture.

Size: Approximately 13.75 x 9 inches (35 x 23 cm)

Condition: Very good for its age. As with all vintage magazine pages, light signs of handling or minor age-related blemishes may be present. Please review the large photo carefully for full condition details.

This original Country Life Magazine frontispiece portrait forms part of The Old Map Shop’s curated archive of society portraits published between 1897 and 2026.