Paola is a member of the Belgian royal family who was Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, King Albert II, from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.
Queen Paola in 2008
Paola in 1967
Queen Paola walks with Laura Bush during a tour of the Royal Palace of Brussels in February 2005.
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled King of the Belgians and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830.
Monarchy of Belgium
Equestrian statue of King Leopold II in Brussels, Belgium
Busts of the first five Kings of the Belgians
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels is the National Basilica of Belgium.