ʃiː wʌz nˈoʊn tə hæv ɐ ɡɹˈeɪt ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn pəlˈɪɾɪkəl ˈɪʃuːz, ænd ðə kəntˈɛmpɚɹˌɛɹi dʒˈɜːmən pɹˈɛs wˈʌns klˈeɪmd ðætðə bˈɛldʒən kwˈiːn "hɐz ɐn ɛkstɹˈiːm ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn pəlˈɪɾɪkəl ɐfˈɛɹz ænd ðɪs ɪz ɐn ˈɪʃuː ʌv dɪskəntˈɛnt ɪn bɹˈʌsəlz".
She was known to have a great interest in political issues, and the contemporary German press once claimed that the Belgian queen "has an extreme interest in political affairs and this is an issue of discontent in Brussels".