The snuffbox is decorated with gold and sharkskin. The box contains the original owner's unfinished cigarettes, the finest tobacco from Cyprus and Egypt that is exclusive to the royal family, which are emblazoned with the golden crown symbol. Inside the box is an inscription commemorating the wedding of the century, when 25-year-old Leopold III married 20-year-old Princess Astrid of Sweden on 10 November 1926 in the Cathedral of Saint Michel Saint-Goudouleur in Brussels. The wedding day was celebrated by the nation and this cigarette case, inscribed on the inside, was a wedding gift from the Belgian royal family.
Prince Leopold III of Belgium (left)
Crown Prince Leopold (III) of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Sweden on their wedding day (center)
Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935), princess of Sweden, queen of Belgium (right)
Queen Astrid was known as the 'Swan from the North', a woman of unparalleled beauty, whose fame surpassed Princess Diana. Unfortunately, she died in a car accident after only two years as queen. Leopold III, who was in the driver's seat, survived by falling into a lake, whereas Queen Astrid was thrown out of the car and crashed into a tree. This cigarette case survives as a piece of history.
