Prinses Paola bezocht VS als Christine Legrand

Thierry Debels@thierryd

8/6/15

Voor de schijn zijn Albert en Paola in de jaren zeventig samen op vakantie. We konden voor het eerst een vertrouwelijke telex van de Verenigde Staten hierover inkijken.

In de cable wordt informatie gegeven over het bezoek van Albert en zijn gezin aan de VS. We lezen dat Paola reist met Italiaanse familieleden (zie hieronder). Het gaat over Fulco Ruffo.

Telex 6 juli 1977

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1. HERE IS THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED CONCERNING THE VISIT OF PRINCE ALBERT AND HIS FAMILY TO THE U.S.

2. PRINCE ALBERT AND PART OF HIS FAMILY WILL TRAVEL TO THE U.S. ON 7/22/77 VIA SABENA FLIGHT 541 DEPARTING AT 1:00 P.M. AND ARRIVING NEW YORK JFK AT 3:00 P.M. THEY WILL BE MET BY THE CONSUL GENERAL OF BELGIUM. THE REMAINDER OF THE PARTY WILL DEPART BRUSSELS ON JULY 21ST OR 23RD.

3. THE PRINCE AND FAMILY WILL STAY WITH RELATIVES OF PRINCESS PAOLA ON LONG ISLAND, THEN PROCEED TO CAPE COD TO THE HOME OF MR. AND MRS. SOLVAY.

4. ON 8/5/77 PRINCE ALBERT WILL RETURN TO BELGIUM. ON THIS SAME DATE PRINCESS PAOLA, HER SONS PRINCE PHILIPPE, AGE 17, AND PRINCE LAURENT, 13 YEARS, HER DAUGHTER, PRINCESS ASTRID, 15 YEARS, AND HER NEPHEW, PRINCE FULCO RUFFO DI CALABRIA, WILL TAKE A FLIGHT FROM BOSTON TO SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. THE PARTY WILL BE MET BY FRIENDS OF THE PRINCESS, MR. AND MRS. OSBORNE. THE PARTY WILL STAY WITH THE OSBORNES UNTIL 8/11/77. ON 8/11/77 THE PRINCESS WILL STAY AT THE GRAND CANYON.

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5. FROM 8/11/77 TO 8/28/77, MR. LINDEKENS, SABENA REPRESENTATIVE IN THE U.S., HAS PREPARED A TENTATIVE ITINERARY WHICH MAY INCLUDE STOPS AT SEVERAL NATIONAL PARKS--ZION, BRYCE CANYON, GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE.

6. ON 8/25/77 THE PARTY WILL DEPART JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING, FOR SAN FRANCISCO. ON 8/28/77 SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK, THEN NEW YORK TO BRUSSELS VIA SABENA 548.

7. REQUEST CONFIRMATION THAT TWO AGENTS WILL ACCOMPANY THE PRINCESS AND FAMILY FROM 8/5/77 AT BOSTON TO COMPLETION OF VISIT ON 8/28/77 IN NEW YORK. CHAMBERSLIMITED OFFICIAL USENNN

In een telex van 20 juli lezen we dit.

2. PRINCESS PAOLA, PRINCESS ASTRID AND PRINCE LAURENT TO DEPART BRUSSELS ON 7/22/77 VIA SABENA FLIGHT 541, ARRIVING NEW YORK JFK AT 3:00 P.M. THEY WILL BE MET BY THE CONSUL GENERAL OF BELGIUM AND SABENA REPRESENTATIVE MR. LINDEKINS.

3. PRINCE ALBERT AND PRINCE PHILIPPE WILL DEPART BRUSSELS ON 7/23/77 VIA SABENA FLIGHT 541, ARRIVING NEW YORK JFK AT 3:00 P.M.

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5. SUBSEQUENT TO PRINCE ALBERT'S RETURN TO BELGIUM ON 8/5/77, SECURITY SUPPORT BY TWO SY AGENTS IS REQUESTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ROYAL PARTY (PRINCESS PAOLA, PRINCESS ASTRID, PRINCE PHILIPPE, PRINCE LAURENT AND PRINCE FULCO RUFFO DI CALABRIA) WHO WILL REMAIN IN THE U.S. UNTIL 8/28/77.

We zien dat Albert en Paola niet samen vliegen en dat Albert en Filip op dezelfde vlucht zitten.

8. REMINDER - THE PARTY WILL TRAVEL UNDER THE NAME OF MRS. CHRISTINE LEGRAND AND CHILDREN.

In de telex wordt bevestigd dat Paola onder een valse naam reist: Christine Legrand. Tot slot is het meldenswaard dat Albert zijn gezin daar achterlaat. Hij vertrekt al op 5 augustus. Paola en de kinderen blijven nog tot 28 augustus.

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