Quick Facts
| Intro | Romanian salon-holder | ||||||||||
| Was | Noble Salon-holder | ||||||||||
| From | Romania | ||||||||||
| Field | Business Fashion Royals | ||||||||||
| Gender | female | ||||||||||
| Birth | 17 November 1845, Sigmaringen | ||||||||||
| Death | 26 December 1912, Brussels (aged 67 years) | ||||||||||
| Star sign | Scorpio | ||||||||||
| Family |
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Biography
Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Marie Luise Alexandrine Karoline; 17 November 1845–26 November 1912) was a Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern, and mother of King Albert I of Belgium.
Family
Marie Luise was a daughter of Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Prime minister of Prussia and Princess Josephine of Baden, and as such a sister of Carol I of Romania and aunt of his successor, Ferdinand of Romania.
Marriage
Marie was considered as a potential wife to the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Though she was considered "quite lovely" by his family, her Roman Catholic religion barred her from being a suitable consort. She married on 25 April 1867 in Berlin with Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, second son of King Leopold I of Belgium and Louise-Marie of Orléans.
They had 5 children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Baudouin | 3 June 1869 | 23 January 1891 (aged 21) | died of influenza at the age of 21. |
| Princess Henriette of Belgium | 30 November 1870 | 28 March 1948 (aged 77) | twin of Joséphine Marie; married Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendôme. |
| Princess Joséphine Marie of Belgium | 30 November 1870 | 18 January 1871 (aged 0) | twin of Henriette; died as an infant. |
| Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium | 18 October 1872 | 6 January 1958 (aged 85) | married Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern. |
| Albert I, King of the Belgians | 8 April 1875 | 17 February 1934 (aged 58) | third King of the Belgians; married Elisabeth of Bavaria. |
Princess Marie was an accomplished artist, even occasionally exhibiting her paintings at the Brussels Fair. She had a literary salon, which was the gathering place of many authors as well as a feature of Brussels social life for forty years. She also demonstrated appreciation for music, on one occasion awarding a gold medal to the Zoellner Quartet after it performed for the Belgian royalty.
Death
Marie Luise died in Belgium in 1912 at the age of 67, after suffering from pneumonia for several days. She was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 17 November 1845 – 25 April 1867 Her Serene Highness Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
- 25 April 1867 – 17 November 1905 Her Royal Highness The Countess of Flanders
- 17 November 1905 – 26 November 1912 Her Royal Highness The Dowager Countess of Flanders
Her full style and title was Her Royal Highness Marie, Princess Philippe of Belgium, Countess of Flanders, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony.
Honours
- Dame of the Order of Louise
 Spain : 823rd Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa - 
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.Ancestry
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