Princess Marie-Esméralda and family

Born in 1956, Princess Esmeralda is a journalist and a free-lance writer by profession. She is married to Dr. Salvador Moncada, a renowned South American pharmacologist. The couple have two young children, Alexandra and Leopoldo. Esmeralda has devoted much time and effort to the defense of the memory of her much-maligned parents. She has published two books dedicated to her father, Léopold III, mon père and Léopold III photographe. She is the president of the Fonds Léopold III pour l'Exploration et la Conservation de la Nature.

Here is an interview in French with the Princess, covering the recent television documentary, Léopold III, mon père, .

The documentary, produced in collaboration with Esmeralda and her brother, Prince Alexandre, is a beautiful one. It used to be in many parts on Youtube, but, alas, has been removed.

In this interview, Esmeralda emphasizes that she is glad to have been born during the most serene period of her father's life, after his abdication, when he finally had the time to concentrate on his family. She notes that her father forgave his political opponents, admitted errors on his own part and found peace after the tragic and tempestuous years of his reign. She also displays no bitterness over the hostile treatment of her mother, Princess Lilian, by the Belgians.