Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz reveal the cute nicknames their grandchildren gave them

On September 21, the day before the 40th wedding anniversary of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, the sister and brother-in-law of King Philippe of Belgium invited the teams of the show Place Royale to their home. The princely couple gave an exceptional interview from the garden of their home, revealing a few details of their family life along the way. In particular, we discover the unexpected nicknames given to them by their grandchildren, the children of their son Amedeo.

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Astrid and Lorenz from Belgium: overjoyed parents and grandparents

On September 22, 1984, Princess Astrid of Belgium, niece of King Baudouin, daughter of the future King Albert II and sister of the future King Philippe, married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, grandson of Emperor Charles I of Austria. From this happy marriage were born five wonderful children. Today aged 21 to 38, only their eldest son, Prince Amedeo, has himself become a father.

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On the eve of the 40th wedding anniversary of Princess Astrid, 62, and Prince Lorenz, 68, the Place Royale show, broadcast every Saturday evening on RTLtvi, devoted part of its September 21 edition to the royal couple. Alix Battard went to meet the sister and brother-in-law of the King of the Belgians, at their home, at Villa Schonenberg, a residence built for them by the Royal Donation, not far from Stuyvenberg Castle and next to the Royal Domain in Laeken.

It was in the garden of the villa, where their five children grew up, that Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz confided in Alix Battard. The couple, who are celebrating their emerald wedding anniversary, now have the joy of looking after a new generation of descendants. Their eldest son, Prince Amedeo, and their daughter-in-law, Elisabetta, are parents of three children: Archduchess Anna-Astrid (2016), Archduke Maximilian (2019) and Archduchess Alix (2023).

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Here are the cute nicknames for Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz

During the interview, given while walking near Villa Schonenberg, the couple pauses for a moment in front of the wooden hut and slide set up for their three grandchildren at the bottom of the garden. The faces of Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid light up. “When they come here, they are so happy”assures Princess Astrid. And what is the nickname that Anna-Astrid and Maximilian give to their grandmother and grandfather? “They shout: Ninou, Nono”exclaims Princess Astrid. Little Archduchess Alix, who has been one year old for a few days, will certainly also adopt these nicknames when she is able to express herself. “It’s joy. It’s worth gold. It’s the most beautiful thing!”adds Princess Astrid, thinking of her grandchildren.

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Anna-Astrid, Maximilian and Alix are the three eldest great-grandchildren of King Albert II and are the first members of the royal family not to be Princes of Belgium, while appearing in the order of succession to the throne, behind their father. They currently occupy the 7th, 8th and 9th places. Through their grandfather, they are also Princes of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia, and Princes of Modena. Archduke Lorenz, titled Prince of Belgium by his father-in-law in 1995, is the head of the Este branch of the Austrian imperial family. This branch of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty ruled the Duchy of Modena in the 19th century, until the annexation of the independent duchy in 1859 to the new unified Kingdom of Italy. Lorenz is today the Duke of Modena as pretender to this ancient throne, a title which will return to his son Amedeo and then to his grandson Maximilian.