Photos of the young Paola of Belgium

[boneofcontention]

Great thread! This woman is beautiful. I still think Grace is slightly ahead of her in the beauty stakes, just slightly, but I think Paola beats Grace on the sexiness side. Although Grace was chic initially, she very quickly grew a bit matronly in her taste with overly fussy hair arrangements, too many frills and bows on her clothes and too much jewellery at times whereas Paola, and for that matter Jackie O, stayed chic and youthful throughout the years with simpler hairstyles and  more casual looking clothes. Grace always looked more coiffed. Paola has an air of insouciance, freshness,naturalness and modernity.I think that once Grace became a wife and mother she was often lamb dressed as mutton in her clothing choices, unfortunately for such a spectacular looking woman.

[shastadaisy]

Agree.  Grace had the better bone structure, but she became quite "mumsy" in her style after a few years of marriage.  Paola was especially lovely with long hair...the Jane Fonda shag cut she had at one point did not flatter her at all.  It's strange now because while she is now a very attractive older woman, I don't see any sign of the true beauty she was in her younger days.  She almost looks like a different person now, but I can't quite say why or how. 

[boneofcontention]

I know what you mean Shastadaisy. Audrey Hepburn still had vestiges of her beauty when she was an older woman, as does Catherine Deneuve or Tippi Hedren. Paola, on the other hand, shows no significant signs of just how lovely she was.

[pixiecat]

Agree.  Grace had the better bone structure, but she became quite "mumsy" in her style after a few years of marriage.  Paola was especially lovely with long hair...the Jane Fonda shag cut she had at one point did not flatter her at all.  It's strange now because while she is now a very attractive older woman, I don't see any sign of the true beauty she was in her younger days.  She almost looks like a different person now, but I can't quite say why or how. 

I know exactly what you mean.  I think it might be the damaged skin and the shift in her eyebrow area with age.  There's something different about her brow area, and I think it's what has changed her look.  She's obviously never had any work done, and her face is an excellent example of what happens with age, smoking and sun damage.  It's too bad that she didn't take better care of her skin. 

[Palomino]

She looks so relaxed and natural in front of the cameras. No posing, no fake smile. I love when she´s serious, too.

[Swashbuckler]

[TLLK]

Paola was true beauty in those photos. Have to not how uncomfortable Phillipe, Astrid and Laurent look in the family photo.

[Imperial Majesty]

Thanks for the photos. I enjoyed them.

I wonder what kind of personality Paola has. Of course, some people may think she was vain and self centered because of her beauty but that may not be true. Who knows, maybe like Grace, she never saw herself as beautiful.

[Principessa]

Who knows.........

But over time their have been enough books,  gossip etc about Paola.
Especially of the period she and Albert had marriage troubles.

[editorathome]

Well, at least Philippe and Astrid got better-looking as they became adults...

[Imperial Majesty]

I also find it interesting that she hasn't aged remarkably well.  Don't get me wrong; she's still lovely and I'm so, so happy that she hasn't turned her face into a Joker mask like Silvia, but to look at her now you'd never know she was such a goddess.

I agree. I would much rather look like Paola than Silvia when I am their age!

[rogue]

She should have quit the fags

[Tinika]

She should have quit the fags

Yep. I'm pretty sure they're 90% of the reason she retains virtually no trace of her youthful beauty, as others have said so well.

[rogue]

I have to say there was something sexy about Albert  I'm actually looking for movies about her younger years?

[rogue]