We take a closer look at the fascinating life of Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, the Prince who gave up his right to the throne for love.
When learning about the monarchy and various kings and queens from across the lands, centuries ago, stories would be riddled with revolt, treason, kidnappings, wars, battles, infidelity, execution, genocide, and more besides. Thankfully, we have now evolved and grown as a civilisation, and stories of the monarchy and royalty these days, are a great deal more placid and laid back.
Stories of the monarchy these days are far less dramatic, though they’re still incredibly interesting. Today we’re going to take a closer look at the Belgian Royal Family, and specifically, at Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
Here’s a detailed look at the young man that is Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
Who is Prince Amedeo of Belgium Archduke of Austria-Este?
Amedeo Maria Joseph Carl Pierre Philippe Paola Marcus d’Aviano was born on the 21st of February, 1986.
He is the grandson of King Albert II of Belgium and is, therefore, a member of the Belgium Royal Family. He also happens to be heir to the headship of the House of Austria-Este, which is a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
As of late 2020, he would have been sixth in line to the Belgian throne but gave up his right to succession which we will look at a bit later.
Early life, education, and career
Amedeo was born at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Belgium and is the elder son and the first child of Princess Astrid of Belgium and Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
Amedeo is actually the godfather to his cousin, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant.
He attended school, both primary and secondary, at the Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege, which is very popular with royalty and aristocracy alike.
He then moved to Kent, England in 2004 to complete his secondary school education at Sevenoaks School, before spending a year in Belgium’s Royal Military Academy.
He would go on to work as a management consultant and a business analyst in New York City.
In 2017, he worked in Brussels’ private Gutzwiller Bank, where, incidentally, his father also is a partner.
Marriage
Back in 2014, the day after Valentine’s Day, the Belgian Royal Court announced that Amedeo was engaged to an Italian journalist by the name of Elisabetta María Rosboch von Wolkenstein.
On the 5th of July, 2014, the couple married in Rome, in a celebration fit for royalty, with some of the most prominent names in the Belgian Royal Family in attendance.
In 2016, the couple had a baby girl whom they named Anna Astrid, and last year in 2019, they had a boy named Maximillian.
Succession
As is often the case, there is some controversy over Amedeo’s rights to the throne as, because he did not request royal authorisation to marry, he would no longer be deemed viable for the throne.
However, in 2015, there was a royal decree printed, which did indeed point out that King Philippe of Belgium had granted retroactive permission for the marriage to take place. Despite this, there is still not a lot of clarity with many experts still believing him not to have any legitimate claim to the throne.
