Albert II of Belgium
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert II (born 6 June 1934) is the King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He is the uncle of the current reigning Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henri.
Contents |
[edit] Full name
Albert's full name is Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie in French (pronounced: [albɛʁ feliks œ̃bɛʁ teodɔʁ kʁistjɑ̃ øʒɛn maʁi]), Albert Felix Humbert Theodoor Christiaan Eugène Marie in Dutch (pronounced [ˈʔɑlbəɾt ˈfelɪks ˈɦʏmbəɾt teˈjodoːɾ ˈkɾɪstiːjaːn ʔøːˈʒɛːn ma̙ˈɾiː]), and Albert Felix Humbert Theodor Christian Eugen Maria in German (pronounced [ˈʔalbɛʁt ˈfeːlɪks ˈhʊmbɛʁt ˈteːodoːɐ̯ ˈkʁɪsti̯an ˈʔɔʏɡən maˈʁiːa]).[1]
[edit] Birth
He is the second son of King Leopold III (1901–1983) and his first wife, Astrid of Sweden (1905–1935). He ascended to the throne in 1993, following the death of his older brother, King Baudouin. His godparents were Prince Felix of Luxembourg and his paternal grandmother, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.[1] He is the first cousin of King Harald V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, and Princess Ragnhild of Norway.
[edit] Biography
Prince Albert was born in Stuyvenberg Castle, Brussels. On 10 May 1940, at the time when Belgium was being invaded, Prince Albert, his elder sister Princess Joséphine-Charlotte and his elder brother Prince Baudouin, left the country for France and later Spain. The Prince and the Princess returned to Belgium on 2 August 1940. They continued their studies until 1944, either at Laeken, or at the Chateau of Ciergnon in the Ardennes. In June 1944, at the time of the Allied landings, King Leopold III, Princess Lilian – whom he married in 1941 – and the royal children were deported by the Germans to Hirschstein, Germany, and later to Strobl, Austria, where they were liberated by the American Army on 7 May 1945.
Due to the political situation in Belgium, King Leopold and his family moved to the villa "Le Reposoir" in Pregny, Switzerland, when they left Austria in October 1945 and stayed until July 1950. During that time, Prince Albert would continue his education in a secondary school in Geneva. King Leopold III, accompanied by Prince Baudouin and Prince Albert, returned to Belgium on 22 July 1950.[1]
He is the 1,292nd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Austria and the 1,191st Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain in 1994.
[edit] Marriage and family
On 2 July 1959 he married Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria (born 11 September 1937) in Brussels. She is the daughter of Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda and his wife, Countess Luisa Gazelli di Rossana e di Sebastiano (1896–1989). Together they have three children, two sons and a daughter:
- HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant (born 15 April 1960). On 4 December 1999, the Duke married Jonkvrouwe Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz (born 20 January 1973), who was created HRH Princess Mathilde of Belgium a day before their marriage. She is a daughter of the late Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz and his wife, Countess Anna Maria Komorowska. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant have four children, two sons and two daughters:
- HRH Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (born 25 October 2001), who will inherit the throne after her father.
- HRH Prince Gabriel of Belgium (born 20 August 2003)
- HRH Prince Emmanuel of Belgium (born 4 October 2005)
- HRH Princess Eléonore of Belgium (born 16 April 2008)
- HI&RH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess Lorenz of Austria-Este, Duchess of Modena (born 5 June 1962). In 1984, she married HI&RH Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia (born 16 December 1955), who was created a Prince of Belgium in 1995. They have five children, two sons and three daughters:
- HI&RH Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born 22 February 1986)
- HI&RH Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 26 August 1988)
- HI&RH Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born 9 December 1991)
- HI&RH Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 11 October 1995)
- HI&RH Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 23 April 2003)
- HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium (born 19 October 1963). On 12 April 2003, He married Claire Coombs (born 18 January 1974), an Anglo-Belgian former real-estate agent. She was created HRH Princess Claire of Belgium 11 days before their marriage. They have three children, two sons and one daughter:
- HRH Princess Louise of Belgium (born 6 February 2004)
- HRH Prince Nicolas of Belgium (born 13 December 2005)
- HRH Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 13 December 2005)
[edit] Official role
As the younger brother of King Baudouin, Prince Albert was not originally the heir to the throne. Initially his son Prince Philippe was designated as heir to Baudoin, once it became clear that the King would have no children to succeed him. However, on Baudouin's death, Albert was sworn in before parliament on 9 August 1993 as the sixth King of the Belgians.[2]
As King, Albert's duties include representing Belgium at home and abroad on state visits, trade missions, and at high level international meetings as well as taking an interest in Belgian society, culture and enterprise. [3]
In 1984, he set up the Prince Albert Foundation, to promote expertise in foreign trade. [4]
The King has a constitutional role which came into play in 2010-2011 when Belgium's parliament was unable to agree on a government. When the crisis was resolved, Albert swore in the new government. [5]
In January 2012, Albert announced that the royal family would freeze their allowances and use a greater proportion of their income to maintain the royal palaces.
[edit] Ancestry
[edit] Patrilineal descent
| Patrilineal descent |
|---|
|
Albert's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations – which means that if Albert II were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Wettin, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house. House of Wettin
|
[edit] Titles & styles
|
||||||||
.svg)
[edit] Titles and styles
- 6 June 1934 – 7 June 1934: His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Belgium
- 7 June 1934 – 9 August 1993: His Royal Highness The Prince of Liège
- 9 August 1993 – present: His Majesty The King of the Belgians
[edit] Honours
[edit] Belgian honours
- Grand Master of the Order of Leopold
- Grand Master of the Order of the African Star (dormant order)
- Grand Master of the Royal Order of the Lion (dormant order)
- Grand Master of the Order of the Crown
- Grand Master of the Order of Leopold II
[edit] Foreign honours
Recipient of numerous foreign decorations, Albert II is one of the few European leaders to be both a knight of the Golden Fleece (Austrian awarded in 1962 by Archduke Otto von Habsburg) and Knight of the Golden Fleece Gold Spanish (awarded in 1994 by King Juan Carlos).
The list of his honorifical decorations (to be expanded) consists of :
| State honours | |||
 |
 Bulgaria |
Grand Cross of the Order of Stara Planina (2003) | Photo |
 |
 Commonwealth |
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | Photo |
 |
 Denmark |
Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog | |
 |
Knight of the Order of the Elephant | Photo | |
 |
 Estonia |
Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2008) | Ph.1, Ph.2 |
 |
 Finland |
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose (2004) | Photo |
 |
 Germany |
Grand Cross, Special Class, of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic | Photo |
 |
 Hungary |
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic, Civilian Class | Photo |
 |
 Holy See |
Knight of the Collar of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (1995) | website |
 |
 Italy |
Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic | |
 |
 Japan |
Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum | |
 |
 Latvia |
Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars (2007) | recipents list (.doc) |
 |
 Lithuania |
Golden Collar of the Order of Vytautas the Great | News, Photo |
 |
 Luxembourg |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau | Photo |
 |
 Monaco |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Charles (1957)[6] | Photo |
 Morocco |
Special Class of the Order of the Mohammediya | ||
 |
 Netherlands |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Photo |
 |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau | ||
 |
 Norway |
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. Olav | Photo |
 |
 Poland |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle | Photo |
 |
 Portugal |
Grand Cordon of the Military Order of Aviz (1985) | Orders website |
 |
Grand Collar of the Order of the Infante Dom Henrique (1999) | Photo | |
 |
 Romania |
Sash (Collar) of the Order of the Star of Romania (2009) | Recipients table |
 |
 Spain |
Sash (Collar) of the Order of the Golden Fleece (1994) | Photo |
 |
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Charles III | ||
 |
 Sweden |
Knight of the Order of the Seraphim | Photo |
| Sovereign Entities | |||
 |
 Malta |
Bailiff and Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
|
| Former sovereign families | |||
|
 Austrian Empire |
Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (House of Habsburg) | |
 |
 K. of France |
Knight of the Order of Saint Michael - (House of Bourbon) | |
 |
.svg){kind=small} Kingdom of Italy |
Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (House of Savoy) | |
 |
Kingdom of Italy |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (House of Savoy) | |
[edit] Honorary degrees
King Albert is Doctor Honoris Causa of the Catholic University of Leuven, the Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Ghent University, Free University of Brussels, the Catholic university of Mons and the Polytechnic Faculty of Mons.
[edit] Belgian coinage
In Belgium, it is common that the effigy of the ruling King is minted in the coins for circulation. As a general rule, this does not happen for the commemorative and collectors' coins. However, some very high value coins have been minted with the effigy of the King in one side, such as the commemorative 100 euro gold coin minted in 2003.
[edit] See also
- List of Succession to the Belgian Throne
- Crown Council of Belgium
- Royal Trust
- Prince Albert Fund
- Michel Didisheim, former private secretary
- Jacques van Ypersele de Strihou (private secretary)
- Frank De Coninck, (former) Marshal of the Royal Household
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "King Albert II". http://www.monarchie.be. http://www.monarchie.be/royal-family/king-albert-ii. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ http://www.monarchie.be/royal-family/king-albert-ii
- ^ http://www.monarchie.be/monarchy-today
- ^ http://www.monarchie.be/monarchy-today/royal-initiatives/prince-albert-fund
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16042750
- ^ Royauté-News, reçu en 1957 lors de l'inauguration d'un monument en mémoire du Roi Albert Ier à Monaco
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albert II of Belgium |
- Official Belgian monarchy web site
- "Belgium defends king against 'assault'". BBC News. 2001-09-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1550250.stm.
- The Royal Belgium Orders
- VR panorama of King Albert II's visit to Küssnacht am Rigi on 29 August 2010
|
Albert II of Belgium
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 6 June 1934 |
||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Baudouin |
King of the Belgians 1993–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Philippe, Duke of Brabant |
| Belgian royalty | ||
| New title | Prince of Liège 1934–present |
Reverts to the Crown after death |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by Robert van Schendel |
Speaker at the College of Europe Opening Ceremony 1969 |
Succeeded by Jean Rey |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Prince Umberto of Bulgaria |
Line of succession to the throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 21st position |
Succeeded by Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant |
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
- Living people
- 1934 births
- 20th-century Roman Catholics
- 21st-century Roman Catholics
- Belgian monarchs
- Belgian royal princes
- Belgian Roman Catholics
- Current national leaders
- House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Belgium)
- People from Brussels
- Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- Reigning monarchs
- Roman Catholic monarchs
- Roseens
- Grand Cordons of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the African Star
- Grand Crosses of the Royal Order of the Lion
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Leopold II
- Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John
- Grand Collars of the Order of Prince Henry
- Knights and Dames of the Collar of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
- Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
- Grand Crosses with Collar of the Order of Charles III
- Collars of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
- Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Stara Planina
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
- Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
- Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. Olav
- Knights of the Elephant
- Knights of the Golden Fleece
- Knights of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
- Knights of the Order of Saint Michael
- Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
- Recipients of the Order of the Mohammedi
- Recipients of the Order of the Seraphim
- Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class with Chain
- Recipients of the Order of Vytautas the Great
- Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
- Sashes of the Order of the Star of Romania
