At the age of 86, Queen Fabiola, the widow of Belgium’s former King Baudouin, has passed away. Though no cause of death was given, the royal palace announced on Friday that she spent her final moments at her castle Stuyvenberg in Brussels.
Queen Fabiola passes at the the age of 86
"Their majesties the king and queen and the members of the royal family announce with very great sadness the death of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola this evening at Stuyvenberg Castle in Brussels," reads a statement from the royal palace of King Philippe.
Recently, the elder royal had limited her public outings and had appeared increasingly frail. The former queen had suffered from osteoporosis for years and never fully recovered from a lung inflammation she had in 2009.
Fabiola became queen of Belgium when she wed King Baudouin in 1960. She had quite the reign: 33 years, until her husband died in 1993.
The couple didn't have any children, and as such, the throne was passed on to King Baudouin's younger brother, who became King Albert II. He abdicated last July, passing the baton to his son, King Philippe.
Queen Fabiola poses with the rest of the Belgian royal family
Queen Fabiola was born Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in 1928 into an aristocratic family in the Spanish capital of Madrid.
During her time in the royal spotlight, she was involved in numerous humanitarian causes, particularly children's issues and the rights of women in developing countries.
