QUEEN PAOLA OF BELGIUM

Queen Paola of Belgium (Paola Ruffo di Calabria; born 11 September 1937) is the wife of King Albert II. As such, she was Queen of the Belgians from 1993 until 2013.

She was born in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy, the seventh and youngest child of the World War I Italian flying ace Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda (1884–1946). Her mother was Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989), a matrilineal descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution. Queen Paola is fluent in Italian, French, German and English. Less fluent, and the cause of occasional criticism, is her Dutch, the mother tongue of nearly 60% of Belgians.

Queen Paola is related to historically eminent Roman and southern Italian noble families, including the Colonna, Orsini, Pallavicini, Alliata and Rospigliosi.

Since the fall of the Italian monarchy in 1947 the Princes Ruffo di Calabria have become connected by marriage, in addition to the Belgian royal family, to such formerly reigning dynasties as the Orléans, the Savoys and the Bonapartes.

1.  Queen Paola of Belgium

a)    has  only Italian noble ancestors

b)    has no noble ancestors

c)    has also  noble American ancestors

d)    has  Turkey ancestors

2.   Queen Paola of Belgium

a)    can speak only Italian and Dutch

b)    can  understand Italian, French, German and English but she cannot speak them

c)    can speak Dutch fluently

d)    cannot speak Dutch fluently

3. Princes Ruffo di Calabria

a)    are connected by marriage with Bonaparte family

b)    only married Italian people

c)    only married Belgian noble people

d)    do not want to marry France noble people