Queen Paola

Paola Ruffo di Calabria (b. 1937) was born into the Italian aristocracy as the youngest daughter of seven children. In 1959, she married Prince Albert, the brother of King Baudouin of Belgium. Albert succeeded his brother to the throne in 1993 and reigned as King Albert II until 2013. During his reign, Queen Paola’s passion for art and culture came increasingly to the fore. In 2006, during an informal visit to MoMu, she donated several Chanel suits and later a Valentino gown. A donation from a reigning monarch is exceptional: many monarchies – including the Belgian one – consider royal clothing to be personal property. In the Netherlands and Belgium, however, royal collections exist to preserve historically significant garments. While specific events can confer historical value on such clothing, the criteria determining which moments qualify are not always clearly defined.

In the late 1910s, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883-1971) introduced the suit as an alternative to tightly corseted dresses. Inspired by men’s clothing, her early designs featured a collarless jacket paired with a narrow skirt. Chanel frequently worked in tweed, which was then traditionally associated with menswear. Her suit offered women a comfortable yet fashionable silhouette, perfectly adapted to a more active lifestyle. Chanel’s suit jackets of the mid-1950s went on to become international fashion icons. High armholes and lightweight, supple tweed made the jacket especially comfortable to wear, while subtle variations in colour, buttons, bows, or plastrons kept the ensemble fresh and contemporary.

The suit was quickly embraced by women in prominent public roles – first ladies, film stars, queens, and princesses. Queen Paola, too, often chose to wear the suit.

On 15 April 1961, Princess Paola and Prince Albert invited the press to celebrate the first birthday of their son, Prince Philippe. Paola wore a Chanel suit from that year’s Spring-Summer collection. The press described the ensemble – made of beige and white wool – as elegant and youthful. The princess paired it with a metal chain necklace by Chanel and cream-coloured pumps with black toe caps by Massaro. Photographs show how freely and easily Paola moves in the ensemble: she sits on the ground to play with her son or walks through grass.

Paola often opted for skirt suits during informal visits. She wore this green and red checked wool design from the 1963 Spring-Summer collection during a family visit to Rome. On several occasions from December 1963 onwards, she wore an aubergine-coloured bouclé suit from the 1963-64 Winter collection. The ensemble, featuring four patch pockets and a round neckline, could be worn in different ways thanks to the plastron, either tied in a bow or left loose across the chest. Princess Paola wore the suit during a visit to London. When attending the Olympic Games in Japan, she paired the ensemble with a matching hat by milliner Mandy Carcay.

The fourth item that Queen Paola donated to MoMu is an evening gown from the Valentino fashion house. Being Italian, she regularly chose designers from her country of origin. In May 1966, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom paid an official state visit to Belgium. During the state banquet, Princess Paola wore a Valentino haute couture gown from that year’s Spring-Summer collection. The sleeveless white silk dress features an empire silhouette. Paola paired the gown with the Art Deco tiara that had belonged to Elisabeth (1876-1965), former Queen Consort of the Belgians, and which was probably designed by Cartier. She complemented the ensemble with pearl and diamond earrings by the jeweller Altenloh. White silk opera gloves, a diamond necklace, and a gold-coloured evening bag completed the look. The princess wore the gown a second time to the gala ball marking the 75th anniversary of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce in London.

Author: Bas Verwaetermeulen
Photo above: Stany Dederen