Marie-José of Belgium
| Marie José of Belgium | |||||
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| Queen consort of Italy | |||||
| Tenure | 9 May 1946 – 12 June 1946 | ||||
| Born |
4 August 1906 Ostend, Belgium |
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| Died | 27 January 2001 (aged 94) Thonex, Switzerland |
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| Spouse | Umberto II of Italy | ||||
| Issue |
Princess Maria Pia Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples Princess Maria Gabriella Princess Maria Beatrice |
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| House | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | ||||
| Father | Albert I of Belgium | ||||
| Mother | Elisabeth of Bavaria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Full name | |
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| Marie José Charlotte Sophie Amèlie Henriette Gabrielle |
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Styles of Queen Marie José |
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| Reference style | Her Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
Marie José of Belgium (Marie José Charlotte Sophie Amélie Henriette Gabrielle; 4 August 1906 – 27 January 2001) was the last Queen of Italy. Her 35-day tenure as queen consort earned her the affectionate nickname "the May Queen".
Princess Marie José was born in Ostend, Belgium, the youngest child and only daughter of Albert I, King of the Belgians and his consort, Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria. At birth, she held the title of Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until its use was discontinued at the end of the First World War. She was named for her maternal grandmother, Infanta Maria José of Portugal.
During the First World War, she was evacuated to England. She was a pupil at the Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School in Brentwood, Essex, during her time in the UK and boarded there.
In 1924, Marie José attended her first court ball. For the occasion she was given an antique pearl and diamond tiara that had originally been owned by Stephanie de Beauharnais.
On 8 January 1930, she married in Rome Prince Umberto, at that time the Crown Prince of Italy from the House of Savoy, and so became Princess of Piedmont (Italian: Principessa di Piemonte).
Among the wedding gifts was a turquoise and diamond parure, worn by the bride at her pre-wedding reception, and a diamond bow worn as a sash decoration at state occasions.
The couple had four children:
After marrying Umberto, she was asked to change her name to the Italian Maria Giuseppa, but she refused to do so.
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