Philippe of Belgium

Last updated

Philippe
Sergio Mattarella and Belgian King Philippe at Quirinale in 2021 (6) (cropped).jpg
King Philippe in 2021
King of the Belgians
Reign21 July 2013 – present
Predecessor Albert II
Heiress apparent Elisabeth
Prime Ministers Elio Di Rupo
Charles Michel
Sophie Wilmès
Alexander De Croo
Born (1960-04-15) 15 April 1960 (age 63)
Belvédère Château, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Spouse
(m. 1999)
Issue
Detail
Names
Dutch: Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria
French: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie
German: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria
House Belgium
Father Albert II of Belgium
Mother Paola Ruffo di Calabria
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature Philippe of Belgium signature.svg

Philippe [lower-alpha 1] (born 15 April 1960) is King of the Belgians. He is the eldest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. He succeeded his father upon the latter's abdication for health reasons on 21 July 2013. He married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1999, with whom he has four children. Their eldest child, Princess Elisabeth, is first in the line of succession.

Contents

Early life

Philippe was born on 15 April 1960 at the Belvédère Château in Laeken, northern Brussels. His father, Prince Albert, Prince of Liège (later King Albert II), was the second son of King Leopold III of Belgium and a younger brother of Baudouin. His mother, Paola, Princess of Liège (later Queen Paola), is a daughter of the Italian aristocrat Fulco VIII, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, 6th Duke of Guardia Lombarda. His mother descends from the French House of La Fayette, and the king is a descendant of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles.[ citation needed ]

Philippe was baptised one month later at the Church of St. James on Coudenberg in Brussels on 17 May, [1] and named Philippe after his great-great-grandfather Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, King Leopold III, and his maternal grandmother, Donna Luisa, Princess Ruffo di Calabria. [2]

Albert and Paola's marriage was unhappy, and they were usually absent from Philippe's life. The child neglect was so severe that child psychologist Peter Adriaenssens  [ nl ] described it as justifying intervention by social workers. [3]

Philippe has a half-sibling, Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968).

He was also the fifth cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II since they share a common ancestor, Francis (he was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and one of his sons, Leopold I would become the first King of the Belgians). Queen Elizabeth II and King Philippe had been 3rd cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark.

Education

As a child the future king was required to move from a French-language school which he liked to a secondary school in Flanders, where he found it difficult to make friends. "In my youth, I had many problems at school", Philippe told teenage dropouts in 2019. "I felt badly treated. It was not easy for me". [3] From 1978 to 1981, Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military Academy in the 118th "Promotion Toutes Armes" (Promotion All Weapons). On 26 September 1980, he was appointed second lieutenant and took the officer's oath. [4]

Philippe continued his education at Trinity College, Oxford, and he attended graduate school at Stanford University, California, where he graduated in 1985 with an MA degree in political science. [4] He obtained his fighter pilot's wings and his certificates as a parachutist and a commando. In 1989, he attended a series of special sessions at the Royal Higher Defence Institute. The same year, he was promoted to colonel.

In 1993, King Baudouin died in Spain, Albert became the new king, and Philippe became the new heir apparent, titled Duke of Brabant.

On 25 March 2001, Philippe was appointed to the rank of major-general in the Land Component and the Air Component and to the rank of rear-admiral in the Naval Component. [4]

Marriage

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wave to crowds in Brussels after his swearing in as the new Belgian monarch. Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.JPG
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wave to crowds in Brussels after his swearing in as the new Belgian monarch.

Philippe married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Walloon count of a Belgian noble family and female line descendant of Polish noble families such as the princes Sapieha and counts Komorowski, on 4 December 1999 in Brussels, in a civil ceremony at the Brussels Town Hall and a religious ceremony at the Cathedral of Saint Michel and Saint Gudule in Brussels. They have four children who were all born at Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht, Brussels:

Foreign trade

On 6 August 1993, the government named Philippe as honorary chairman of the Belgian Foreign Trade Board (BFTB). He succeeded his father, who had been honorary chairman of the BFTB since 1962. On 3 May 2003, he was appointed honorary chairman of the board of the Foreign Trade Agency, replacing the BFTB. [5]

In this capacity, Philippe has headed more than 60 economic missions. [6] [7] Upon his accession as seventh King of the Belgians, this role was taken over by his sister Princess Astrid.

Reign

Philippe in Antwerp, 2013 Koning Filip van Belgie.jpg
Philippe in Antwerp, 2013

King Albert II announced on 3 July 2013 that he would abdicate in favour of Philippe on 21 July 2013. [8] Approximately one hour after King Albert II's abdication, Prince Philippe was sworn in as King of the Belgians. [9] His eldest child, Princess Elisabeth, became his heir apparent and is expected to become Belgium's first queen regnant.

Philippe played a role in forming a coalition government after the 2014 Belgian federal election. [10] Political meetings with the King were moved from the Palace of Laeken to the Royal Palace of Brussels. [10] In May 2019, Philippe met with Vlaams Belang President Tom Van Grieken, the first time the party had received a royal audience. [10] [11]

In 2020, Philippe announced regret for the "acts of violence and cruelty" committed in the Congo Free State. [10]

Honours and arms

Personal Standard of Philippe, King of the Belgians Royal Standard of King Philippe of Belgium.svg
Personal Standard of Philippe, King of the Belgians

National honours

Foreign honours

Arms

Coat of arms of Philippe of Belgium
Coat of Arms of the King of the Belgians.svg
Notes
In 2019 the king codified the coats of arms of himself and those of his family through a Royal Decree. The arms of the reigning monarch was modified to include the Saxonian escutcheon. The arms of other members of the royal family was similarly modified. [20] [21] The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of the king and queen to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle. The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War. [22] By including the three official languages in the motto it reflects his wish "to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians". [23]
Adopted
12 July 2019
Coronet
Royal crown of Belgium
Helm
A golden royal helm with the visor open
Escutcheon
Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules (Belgium), on the shoulder an escutcheon barry of ten sable and or, a crancelin vert (Wettin), with two crossed sceptres (a hand of justice and a lion) or behind a shield.
Supporters
Two lions guardant proper each supporting a lance or with two National Flags of Belgium (Tierced per pale Sable, Or and Gules).
Motto
French: L'union fait la force
Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht
German: Einigkeit macht stark
Orders
Order of Leopold
Other elements
The whole is placed on a mantle purpure with ermine lining, fringes and tassels or and ensigned with the Royal crown of Belgium.
Previous versions
Previously as monarch, Philippe used the royal coat of arms of Belgium undifferenced.

Ancestry

See also

Notes

  1. French: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie [filipleɔpɔldlwimaʁi] ; Dutch: Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria [ˈfilɪpˈleːjoːpɔltˈloːdəʋɛikmaːˈrijaː]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leopold I of Belgium</span> King of the Belgians from 1831 to 1865

Leopold I was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baudouin of Belgium</span> King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993

Baudouin was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of the Congo, before it became independent in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Belgium</span> Constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy of Belgium

Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled King of the Belgians and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinand I of Bulgaria</span> Monarch of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918

Ferdinand I was Prince of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1908 and Tsar of Bulgaria from 1908 until his abdication in 1918. Under his rule Bulgaria entered the First World War on the side of the Central Powers in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert II of Belgium</span> King of the Belgians from 1993 to 2013

Albert II is a member of the Belgian royal family who reigned as King of the Belgians from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Laurent of Belgium</span> Belgian prince (born 1963)

Prince Laurent of Belgium is the second son and youngest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and younger brother of King Philippe. Currently, he is 13th in the Belgian line of succession. He had been as high as third in line, but the constitution was amended in 1991 to extend an equal right of succession to women, putting him behind his sister, Princess Astrid, and her descendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Astrid of Belgium</span> Archduchess of Austria-Este

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium, head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and is fifth in line of succession to the Belgian throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Paola of Belgium</span> Queen of the Belgians from 1993 to 2013

Paola is a member of the Belgian royal family who was Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, King Albert II, from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mathilde of Belgium</span> Queen of the Belgians since 2013

Mathilde is Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Philippe. She is the first native-born Belgian queen. She has founded and assisted charities to decrease poverty in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg</span> Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000

Jean was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of French agnatic descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg</span> Grand Duke of Luxembourg since 2000

Henri is Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He has reigned since 7 October 2000. Henri is the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. He is a first cousin of King Philippe of Belgium. In 2019, Henri's net worth was estimated around US$4 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Belgium</span> National coat of arms of Belgium

The coat of arms of Belgium bears a lion or, known as Leo Belgicus, as its charge. This is in accordance with article 193 of the Belgian Constitution: The Belgian nation takes red, yellow and black as colours, and as state coat of arms the Belgian lion with the motto UNITY MAKES STRENGTH. A royal decree of 17 March 1837 determines the achievement to be used in the greater and the lesser version, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Leopold (Belgium)</span> Belgian national honorary order of knighthood

The Order of Leopold is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civil division. The maritime division is only awarded to personnel of the merchant navy, and the military division to military personnel. The decoration was established on 11 July 1832 and is awarded by Royal order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians</span> Queen of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934

Elisabeth of Bavaria was Queen of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 to 17 February 1934 as the wife of King Albert I, and a duchess in Bavaria by birth. She was the mother of King Leopold III of Belgium and of Queen Marie-José of Italy, and grandmother of kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium, and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Lorenz of Belgium</span> Archduke of Austria-Este

Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este is a member of the Belgian royal family as the husband of Princess Astrid of Belgium. He is the head of the House of Austria-Este, a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine; he has held this position since 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Palace of Brussels</span> Palace in Brussels, Belgium

The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels. However, it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Palace of Laeken in northern Brussels. The website of the Belgian Monarchy describes the function of the Royal Palace as follows:

The Royal Palace is where His Majesty the King exercises his prerogatives as Head of State, grants audiences and deals with affairs of state. Apart from the offices of the King and the Queen, the Royal Palace houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King's Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King's Military Household and the Intendant of the King's Civil List. The Royal Palace also includes the State Rooms where large receptions are held, as well as the apartments provided for foreign Heads of State during official visits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders</span> Belgian prince (1837–1905)

Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders, was the third born and second surviving son of King Leopold I of Belgium and Louise d'Orléans. He was the brother of Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendôme</span> Duke of Vendôme

Prince Emmanuel of Orléans, Duke of Vendôme was a French royal from the House of Orléans.

References

  1. J.M. (8 May 2001). "Le baptême en l'église royale..." dh.be (in French). Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  2. "Prince Philippe : la ligne du temps d'une vie passée devant les caméras". RTBF.be (in French). Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Moens, Barbara (21 July 2022). "Belgian king prepares to hand his daughter the curse of the crown". Politico. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Belgian Monarchy" . Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  5. "The Belgian Monarchy" . Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  6. Agence pour le Commerce extérieur, Missions antérieures Archived 10 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Official Royal Website Archives". Monarchie.be. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  8. Price, Matthew (3 July 2013). "Belgium's King Albert II announces abdication". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  9. "Belgium's King Albert II gives up throne to son". CNN. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Moens, Barbara; Gijs, Camille (6 July 2020). "Of race and royalty: How the king surprised Belgium". Politico.
  11. "Belgian far-right leader in landmark audience with the king". The Public's Radio. Associated Press. 29 May 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Biographies of Members of the Belgian Senate" (PDF). Belgian Senate. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  13. "Modtagere af danske dekorationer". kongehuset.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  14. "Συνάντηση με τον Βασιλιά και την Βασίλισσα των Βέλγων – Προεδρία της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας".
  15. "Le Roi et la Reine sont devenus chevaliers de collier". Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  16. Sito web del Quirinale: dettaglio decorato.
  17. "President Mattarella receives the King of the Belgians". twitter.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  18. "Lithuanian president confers state awards to King and Queen of Belgium ahead of visit".
  19. "Order of Oman for the King of the Belgians". twitter.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  20. "Le Moniteur belge". www.ejustice.just.fgov.be. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  21. "Royal Decree of July 12, 2019". Moniteur Belge. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  22. Philippe, Koning der Belgen (12 July 2019). "Koninklijk besluit houdende vaststelling van het wapen van het Koninklijk Huis en van zijn leden" (PDF). Belgisch Staatsblad. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  23. "Belgian royal coat of arms gets a 'modern' update". Brussel Times. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
Philippe of Belgium
Born: 15 April 1960
Belgian royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Baudouin
Duke of Brabant
1993–2013
Succeeded by
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of the Belgians
2013–present
Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Elisabeth