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Belgium's Queen Paola being treated for heart problems: royal palace

Xinhua, September 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Queen Paola of Belgium has been ordered to rest because she is suffering from heart problems, the Belgian royal palace confirmed in a statement, after several weeks of local media speculation about her ill health.

In an official statement published on Friday, the palace said: "Her Majesty Queen Paola is suffering from cardiac arrythmia and is currently under treatment and monitoring to determine the most suitable therapy for her. She has been told to rest, but her condition does not prevent her from travelling, including abroad."

Queen Paola, who is 78, is the wife of Belgium's former King Albert II, who reigned from 1993 to 2013 before abdicating in favour of his elder son Philippe. Under Belgian protocol, Paola and Albert keep the titles of Queen and King respectively.

The royal couple cancelled all of their engagements at the end of August, including a foreign trip to Venice, after Paola was prescribed "total rest" following a medical examination.

The Belgian royal palace did not reveal the cause of her ill health at the time, but denied one media report that she had suffered a stroke.

Belgian broadcaster RTL notes that her last public appearance was in May, during a visit to the European Parliament. Endit