Of all Belgian Queens Astrid was by far the most loved. When the beautiful Swedish fairy tale princess arrived in Belgium as the bride of Prince Leopold, she immediately stole the hearts of her new compatriots. Many people still cherish the image of the loving mother, and the spouse of King Leopold III, who brake through the rigid formalism of royalty.

But Queen Astrid was only Queen of the Belgians for one and a half year. The beautiful Queen was not even 30, when in 1935 she died in a tragic car accident in Küssnacht - Switserland. With her dead a legend was born. In later years Princess Diana, whose life and death have significant similarities with those of this most regretted sovereign, would match Astrid's popularity.

In 2005, along with the celebration of the 175th anniversary of Belgium, the museum commemorates the centenary of Astrid's birth and 70 years of her dead with a book and a matching exhibition.

The book "Astrid, Queen of Hearts" (only available in Dutch) is not only a captivating biography of Astrid, it contains also hundreds of photographs from her much too short, but unforgettable and outstanding life. The book is edited by Standaard Uitgeverij and counts 320 pages for the price of €19.95 It is available in the museum and can be ordered from your bookseller's under number ISBN 90 02 21946 6.

The book "Mathilde,Princess of Hearts" (only available in Dutch) is a captivating biography of Mathilde, it contains hundreds of photographs of her life a our future queen. The book is edited by Uitgeverij Manteau, counts 330 pages, for the price of €22,50. It is available in the museum and can be ordered from your bookseller's under number ISBN 978 90 223 2295 6.