Queen Elisabeth of Belgium

A queen with an artist’s soul

Some royals walk into history as majesties. And some royals reshape it.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876–1965) certainly belongs to the second category; a sovereign defined by empathy, curiosity and an extraordinary cultural legacy.

A childhood shaped by art and compassion

Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie was born on 25 July 1876 at Possenhofen Castle on the shores of the Starnberger See. Her father, Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria, was both a member of the Bavarian royal family, the House of Wittelsbach, and an acclaimed ophthalmologist; her mother, Infanta Maria José of Portugal, assisted him as a nurse, a rare role for a princess in the 19th century.

This early exposure to caregiving and human vulnerability shaped Elisabeth’s lifelong compassion. Surrounded by music, painting and sculpture, she grew up in an environment that nurtured her artistic sensibilities. It was a childhood that prepared her for a future where culture and duty would become inseparable. 

💥Maybe a very interesting royal family link: Elisabeth was, through her father a niece of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi)

Meeting Albert: a royal romance

Elisabeth met Prince Albert of Belgium in 1897 during a family gathering. Their marriage followed on 2 October 1900 in Munich. Albert, then second in line to the Belgian throne, would unexpectedly rise to kingship after the death of his elder brother.

Upon the death of King Leopold II in 1909, Albert and Elisabeth became King and Queen of the Belgians. 

A queen at the front

During the First World War, the royal couple settled in De Panne, close to the Belgian front. Far from retreating behind palace walls, Elisabeth visited field hospitals, supported nurses, established an orchestra for the army, and helped create the renowned L’Océan military hospital.

She travelled frequently to the United Kingdom, officially to visit her children, but in reality also carrying confidential messages between the Belgian high command and British authorities. Her courage made her deeply beloved among soldiers and civilians alike, despite her German lineage.

Culture, science and remarkable friendships

Elisabeth surrounded herself with artists, musicians and scientists. She developed a friendship with Albert Einstein, who admired her curiosity and intellect. Her passion for culture led to initiatives that still define Belgian musical life today, most notably the creation of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world’s leading competitions for young classical musicians.

She wore the famous Belgian Bandeau Tiara from Cartier. More about this tiara on this link. 

Personal tragedy and unfaltering duty

In 1934, King Albert I died in a tragic mountaineering accident in the Ardennes. Elisabeth initially withdrew from public life to give space to her daughter-in-law, Queen Astrid. But when Astrid died in a car accident in 1935, Elisabeth stepped forward again, supporting her son Leopold III and his young family during an extremely turbulent period.

The “red queen” 

During the Second World War, Elisabeth used her status and German connections to rescue hundreds of Jewish children from deportation. Her wartime humanitarian work earned her the title Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In the 1950s, she sparked controversy abroad by visiting the Soviet Union, Poland and China out of cultural and scientific interest; travels that earned her the nickname “the Red Queen,” even though her motivations were apolitical. 

A legacy of culture, courage and compassion

Queen Elisabeth died in Brussels on 23 November 1965, aged 89. She is buried in the royal crypt at Laeken.

Her legacy resonates to this day:

* through the Queen Elisabeth Competition

* through the charitable and cultural foundations bearing her name

* through her humanitarian acts during wartime

* and through the many European dynasties connected to her family line

Royal family

Elisabeth and King Albert had three children:

King Leopold III (1901–1983)

Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (1903–1983), later Regent of Belgium

Princess Marie-José (1906–2001), the last Queen of Italy

She was grandmother to King Baudouin, King Albert II, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg and several Italian royal heirs.

Conclusion

Queen Elisabeth was far more than a royal consort. She was a woman who combined cultural vision with quiet strength, artistic passion with humanitarian courage.

Her life was a tapestry woven with art, science, war, resilience and love, making her one of the most compelling and admired Belgian queens of all time.

👉For more stories about the royal world, past and present, visit All About Royal Families and step into history’s most fascinating courts.

* Source pictures: the pictures were taken at the Royal Palace in Brussels in 2016 during an exhibition of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.