She is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and is fifth in line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Princess Astrid was born one day before her father's 28th birthday at the Belvédère Château in Laeken, northern Brussels, and was named after her late paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden, King Leopold III's popular first wife, who had died in 1935 in a car accident aged 29.

She declined to stand again for election to the role in light of internal struggles in the organisation in reconciling its Flemish-speaking and French branches, each of which seeks greater autonomy.

[12] Princess Astrid has been for many years an advocate for landmine survivors rights, participating actively in the work of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, since Belgium joined in 1998.

[16][17] In Beirut she met with President Michel Aoun, and Minister of National Defense Elias Bou Saab.