Albert II of Belgium

King of the Belgians from 1993 to 2013

Albert II

Albert II in 2010

King of the Belgians
Reign| 9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013
Predecessor| Baudouin
Successor| Philippe
Prime ministers|

See list

* Jean-Luc Dehaene
Guy Verhofstadt
Yves Leterme
Herman Van Rompuy
Yves Leterme
Elio Di Rupo

Born|  (1934-06-06) 6 June 1934 (age 90)
Château of Stuyvenberg, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Spouse|

Paola Ruffo di Calabria

(m. 1959)​

Issue
Detail|

* Philippe, King of the Belgians
* Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este
* Prince Laurent
* Princess Delphine

House| Belgium
Father| Leopold III of Belgium
Mother| Astrid of Sweden
Religion| Roman Catholicism
Signature|

Belgian royal family

* The King
The Queen
* The Duchess of Brabant
* Prince Gabriel
* Prince Emmanuel
* Princess Eléonore

King Albert II
Queen Paola

* Princess Astrid
Prince Lorenz
* Prince Amedeo
Princess Elisabetta
* Princess Maria Laura
* Prince Joachim
* Princess Luisa Maria
* Princess Laetitia Maria
* Prince Laurent
Princess Claire
* Princess Louise
* Prince Nicolas
* Prince Aymeric
* Princess Delphine
* Princess Joséphine
* Prince Oscar

* Princess Léa
* Princess Marie-Christine, Mrs Gourges
* Princess Marie-Esméralda, Lady Moncada

* v
* t
* e

Albert II[a] (born 6 June 1934) is a member of the Belgian royal family who reigned as King of the Belgians from 9 August 1993 until his abdication on 21 July 2013.

Albert II is the son of King Leopold III and the last living child of Queen Astrid, born a princess of Sweden.[b] He is the younger brother of the late Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg and King Baudouin, whom he succeeded following Baudouin's death in 1993. He married Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria (now Queen Paola), with whom he had three children. Albert's eldest son, Philippe, is the current King of the Belgians.

On 3 July 2013, King Albert II attended a midday session of the Belgian cabinet. He then announced that, on 21 July, Belgian National Day, he would abdicate the throne for health reasons. He was succeeded by his son Philippe on 21 July 2013. Albert II was the fourth monarch to abdicate in 2013, following Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Emir Hamad bin Khalifa of Qatar.[3] In so doing, he was also the second Belgian monarch to abdicate, following his father, Leopold III, who abdicated in 1951, albeit under very different circumstances.

## Early life

[edit]

Prince Albert was born at the Château of Stuyvenberg in Laeken, northern Brussels, as the second son and youngest child of King Leopold III and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden. He was second in line to the throne at birth, and was given the title Prince of Liège. When Prince Albert was one year old, Queen Astrid died in Switzerland in a car accident on 29 August 1935, in which King Leopold, who was driving the vehicle, was lightly injured. The King remarried to Mary Lilian Baels (later became Princess of Réthy) in 1941. The couple produced three children: Prince Alexandre, Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Marie-Esméralda (who is also Albert's goddaughter). Albert and his siblings had a close relationship with their stepmother and they called her "Mother".[4][5]

During World War II, 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 Castle of Ciergnon in the Ardennes. In June 1944, at the time of the Allied landings, King Leopold, his wife Princess Lilian and the royal children were deported by the Germans to Hirschstein, Germany, and later to Strobl, Austria, where they were released by the American 106th Cavalry Regiment on 7 May 1945. Owing 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.[6]

## Marriage and family

[edit]

Albert (right) and his brother Baudouin, c. 1940 King Albert II and Queen Paola with US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the Royal Palace of Brussels in 2005

In 1958, Albert went to the Vatican to witness the coronation of Pope John XXIII. At a reception at the Belgian Embassy, he met Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria. Prince Albert proposed marriage to her, to which she accepted. Two months after their meeting, the prince introduced his future wife to his family, and four months later to the press. The couple were married on 2 July 1959, one-and-a-half years before Albert's older brother, the king, got married (a marriage which would prove childless). Albert and Paola have three children, twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Their children are:

* King Philippe (born 15 April 1960 at the Belvédère Château in Brussels)
* Princess Astrid (born 5 June 1962 at the Belvédère Château in Brussels)
* Prince Laurent (born 19 October 1963 at the Belvédère Château in Brussels)

### Delphine Boël

[edit]

In 1997, the Belgian satirical magazine Père Ubu reported that the Belgian sculptor Delphine Boël (born 22 February 1968) was King Albert II's extramarital daughter.[7] It took some years for the Belgian mainstream media to report this news. According to Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, the mother of Delphine, she and Albert shared an 18-year-long relationship[8] into which Delphine was born.

In June 2013, Boël summoned the then King and his two older children (the then Duke of Brabant and the Archduchess of Austria-Este) to appear in court. She hoped to use DNA tests to prove that she is the King's daughter. As the King enjoyed complete immunity under the law, Boël decided to summon his elder children as well.[9][10] The king abdicated the following month, in July 2013. After the King's abdication, Boël abandoned her first suit to introduce a second one only against the former King as he was no longer protected by immunity and the first claim would have been judged according to the situation at the time of the introduction of the claim.[11]

In March 2017, the Court ruled that her claim was unfounded, and her lawyers said she would take the claim to appeal.[12] On 25 October 2018, the Court of Appeal decided that Delphine Boël is not a descendant of Jacques Boël, and ordered King Albert to undergo DNA testing. His lawyer announced that he would seek further advice about a possible referral to Belgium's Cour de Cassation / Hof van Cassatie.[13] In 2019, the King's lawyer confirmed he would not provide a DNA sample in the case.[14]

On 29 May 2019, it was reported by CNN that Albert II had submitted a DNA sample after a Belgian court ruled on 16 May that he would be fined 5,000 euros for each day that he failed to do so, although he would continue to challenge the ruling, according to his attorney, Alain Berenboom [fr].[15][16] The results of these DNA samples were released on 27 January 2020 by Alain Berenboom, confirming Delphine Boël as Albert II's daughter. Albert II confirmed this on 27 January 2020 in a press release.[17] "The king will treat all his children as equal," Berenboom said, according to VTM News. "King Albert now has four children."[18]

While it was proven that Boël was his biological daughter, her legal status as a daughter was not recognized[19][20] until a 1 October 2020 ruling of the Brussels Court of Appeal, which also recognized Boël as a princess of Belgium and granted her the new surname of Saxe-Coburg.[21]

## Official role

[edit]

The King reviewing the army during the Belgian National Day, 2011

As the younger brother of the childless King Baudouin, Prince Albert was the heir-presumptive to the throne. Albert's son Philippe was groomed to eventually succeed. On Baudouin's death, Albert was sworn in before parliament, on 9 August 1993, as King of the Belgians.[22]

As King, Albert's duties included 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.[23] The King had 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.[24]

In 1984, he set up the Prince Albert Foundation, to promote expertise in foreign trade.[25]

Albert sparked controversy in his December 2012 Christmas speech by comparing modern "populist movements" with those of the 1930s. This was seen by several political commentators, as well as many Flemish politicians, as aimed implicitly at the large Flemish nationalist party, the N-VA.[26] Bart De Wever, the party's leader, called for the King's role in the formation of Belgian governments to be changed in the wake of this comment since he "could no longer see the monarch as playing the constitutional role of referee."[26]

### Abdication

[edit]

On 3 July 2013, 79-year-old King Albert II attended a midday session of the Belgian cabinet, where he revealed his intention to abdicate to Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and to the deputy prime ministers. This came less than one month after the king and two of his children had been asked to appear in court by the Belgian sculptor Delphine Boël, who was intent on proving that the king was her biological father. According to a letter sent by the King to the Prime Minister and dated 3 July 2013, and which was made public, the King had already broached the topic of his intention to abdicate several times with the Prime Minister, who had asked him to reconsider it.[27] At 6 pm (CET) the King announced in a recorded radio and television speech that on 21 July, Belgium's National Day, he would abdicate the throne for health reasons. He was succeeded by his elder son, Philippe.[3]

After his abdication on 21 July 2013 it was decided that he would be styled as His Majesty King Albert II,[28] the same form of address granted to his father, Leopold III, after his abdication.

## Honours

[edit]

Royal monogram of King Albert II of Belgium Coat of arms as King of the Belgians Personal Standard of King Albert II.

See also: List of honours of the Belgian Royal Family by country

### National honours

[edit]

* Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold[29]

As King (1993-2013) he was Grand Master of:

*     * The Order of the African Star
* The Royal Order of the Lion
* The Order of the Crown
* The Order of Leopold II

### Other European distinctions

[edit]

* Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1958) [30]
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (2003, Bulgaria)[31]
* Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
* Knight of the Order of the Elephant (Denmark)
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark)
* Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (5 June 2008, Estonia) [32]
* Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1996)[33]
* Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece)
* Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (16 October 1979, Iceland)[34]
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (29 October 1973, Italy)[35][36]
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy)
* Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (Italy)
* Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
* Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Vytautas the Great (16 March 2006, Lithuania)[37]
* Knight of the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau (Luxembourg)
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles (13 October 1957, Monaco) [38]
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)
* Queen Beatrix Investiture Medal (Netherlands)
* Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (1964, Norway)[39]
* St. Olavsmedaljen (Norway)
* Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
* Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland[40]
* Grand Collar in the Order of Prince Henry (13 December 1999, Portugal)[41]
* Grand Cross of the Military Order of Aviz (11 December 1985, Portugal)[41]
* Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania (2009)[42]
* Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross (Slovakia)
* Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (16 September 1994, Spain)[43]
* Knight of the Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)
* King Carl XVI Gustaf Jubilee Medal (Sweden)
* Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (UK)
* Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (UK)
* Knight with the Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (Vatican) [40]

### Latin-American distinctions

[edit]

* Grand Cross in the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (Argentina) [40]
* Extraordinary Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (Colombia) [40]
* Grand Collar of the National Order of San Lorenzo (Ecuador) [40]
* Collar in the Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico) [44]
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru, Special Class[40]
* Grand Cross with Collar in the Order of the Liberator (Venezuela) [44]

### African distinctions

[edit]

* Grand Cross in the Order of Merit (Cameroon)[40]
* Grand Cordon in the National Order of the Leopard (R. Congo)
* Grand Cordon in the Order of the Republic (Egypt)
* Collar in the Order of the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia)[40]
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Equatorial Star (Gabon) [40]
* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne (Morocco)
* Crand Cross of the Order of Merit (Senegal) [40]
* Grand Cross in the Order of the Independence (Tunesia)[40]

### Asian and Middle-East distinctions

[edit]

* 25th Centennial Anniversary Medal Ribbon (Iran)
* Grand Cordon in the Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan)
* Grand Cross in the Grand Order of Mugunghwa (South-Korea)
* Honorary Grand Commander of the Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm (Malaysia) [40][45]

### Dynastic and religious honours

[edit]

* Knight in the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
* Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece (Austrian Imperial Family)[40]
* Knight of the Great Cross in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

### Honorary degrees

[edit]

King Albert II is Doctor Honoris Causa of:

* the Catholic University of Leuven
* Saint Louis University, Baguio City
* Ghent University
* the Free University of Brussels
* the Catholic university of Mons
* the Polytechnic Faculty of Mons.

### Eponym

[edit]

* Boulevard du Roi Albert II/Koning Albert II-laan, Brussels.
* Boulevard Prince de Liège /Prins van Luiklaan, Brussels
* Institute King Albert II, University hospital of Saint-Luc.[46]

### Arms

[edit]

Coat of arms of Albert II of Belgium  |

Notes
As a former reigning monarch of Belgium, the king is entitled to use a coat of arms which was stipulated in the Royal Decree of King Philippe in 2019.[47]
Adopted
12 July 2019
Coronet
Royal crown of Belgium
Torse
A lambrequin or lined with sable
Helm
A golden helmet sideways 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), overall a label of three points gules, the centre point a royal crown or.
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
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 reigning monarch, Albert used the royal coat of arms of Belgium undifferenced (shown above).

|

## Ancestry

[edit]

See also: Kings of Belgium family tree and Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark

Ancestors of Albert II of Belgium

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8\. Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| 4\. Albert I of Belgium|

|  |  |
| 9\. Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

| 2\. Leopold III of Belgium|

|  |  |  |  |
| 10\. Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria

| 5\. Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria|

|  |  |
| 11\. Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal

| 1\. Albert II of Belgium|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 12\. Oscar II of Sweden

| 6\. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland|

|  |  |
| 13\. Princess Sophia of Nassau

| 3\. Princess Astrid of Sweden|

|  |  |  |  |
| 14\. Frederick VIII of Denmark

| 7\. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark|

|  |  |
| 15\. Princess Louise of Sweden

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## See also

[edit]

* Line 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, former chief of the Kings Cabinet.
* Frank De Coninck, (former) Marshal of the Royal Household

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ French: Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie, pronounced [albɛʁ feliks œ̃bɛʁ teɔdɔʁ kʁistjɑ̃ øʒɛn maʁi]; Dutch: Albert Felix Humbert Theodoor Christiaan Eugène Marie, pronounced [ˈɑlbərt ˈfeːlɪks ˈɦʏmbərt teːjoːˈdoːr ˈkrɪstijaːn øːˈʒɛːn maːˈri]; German: Albrecht Felix Humbert Theodor Christian Eugen Maria, pronounced [ˈalbʁɛçt ˈfeːlɪks ˈhʊmbɛʁt ˈteːodoːɐ̯ ˈkʁɪsti̯a(ː)n ˈʔɔʏɡn̩ maˈʁiːaː]
2. ^ Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium[1] and Princess Marie-Christine of Belgium,[2] the two daughters of Leopold III and his second wife, Lilian, Princess of Réthy, are also still alive.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Belgian royal asks nation to apologize to DRC for past". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
2. ^ Princess Marie Christine of Belgium ruined because of her addicted husband
3. ^ a b Matthew Price (3 July 2013). "Belgium's King Albert II announces abdication". BBC News.
4. ^ Cleeremans, Jean. Léopold III, sa famille, son peuple sous l'occupation; Keyes, Roger. Echec au Roi, Léopold III, 1940–1951
5. ^ White, Sam (3 July 1953). "Europe's Most Slandered Princess". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
6. ^ "King Albert II". The Belgian Monarchy. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
7. ^ Falter, Rolf (19 May 2005). "Pigment over Delphine Boël en Albert II". De Tijd.
8. ^ Higgins, Andrew (19 July 2013). "Belgium Is Also Awaiting Possible News of a New Royal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
9. ^ Stroobants, Jean-Pierre (17 June 2013). "En Belgique, la fille adultérine d'Albert II exige une reconnaissance officielle". Le Monde. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
10. ^ Bacchi, Umberto (18 June 2013). "Belgium: King Albert's 'Disowned Natural Daughter' Delphine Boel Seeks Recognition in Court". International Business Times. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
11. ^ Le Vif, "Chacun sait que le roi Albert est le père biologique de Delphine Boël" Archived 15 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ mtm (28 March 2017). "Delphine Boël vangt bot bij rechter: koning Albert II is niet haar wettelijke vader". Het Nieuwsblad. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
13. ^ "Advocaat Paleis: 'Niet zeker of koning Albert DNA-test zal ondergaan'". De Standaard, datem 5 November 2018.
14. ^ "Belgian ex-king Albert II refuses DNA test in love-child case". BBC News. February 2019.
15. ^ "Former Belgian king submits DNA sample in paternity case". CNN. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
16. ^ "Analysis of King Albert's DNA may be used as evidence in Delphine Boël paternity case". vrtnws.be. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
17. ^ "DNA test confirms: King Albert is the biological father of Delphine Boël". vrt.be. vrtnws. 27 January 2020.
18. ^ Yeung, Jessie (28 January 2020). "DNA test forces former Belgian king to admit fathering a child in extramarital affair". CNN. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
19. ^ Nu Delphine Boël wel degelijk de dochter van koning Albert II is: wordt ze prinses? En deelt ze in de erfenis? Article in Dutch
20. ^ but Albert stated he will not raise any objections about his legal paternity. A court will decide about this matter in the near future.Ex-King of Belgium Acknowledges a Long-Dismissed Daughter
21. ^ Boffey, Daniel (1 October 2020). "Delphine Boël: Belgian king's daughter wins right to call herself princess". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
22. ^ "The Belgian Monarchy: Home – Royal Family – King Albert II". The Belgian Monarchy.
23. ^ "The Belgian Monarchy: Home – The Monarchy today". The Belgian Monarchy.
24. ^ "Belgium swears in new government headed by Elio Di Rupo". BBC News. 6 December 2011.
25. ^ "The Belgian Monarchy: Home – The Monarchy today – Royal Initiatives – Prince Albert Fund". The Belgian Monarchy.
26. ^ a b "Belgium King Albert II Christmas speech sparks controversy". BBC News Online. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
27. ^ "Letter of King Albert II to Prime Minister Di Rupo announcing his intention to abdicate". Scribd.com.
28. ^ "Koning der Belgen versus Koning (Dutch)". Deredactie.be. 3 July 2013.
29. ^ "Z.M. BOUDEWIJN". moriendi.be (in Dutch). 1 August 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008.
30. ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 53. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
31. ^ "The Belgian Monarchy". Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
32. ^ "Vabariigi President". www.president.ee. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
33. ^ "Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunnan suurristin ketjuineen ulkomaalaiset saajat". www.ritarikunnat.fi. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
34. ^ "Fálkaorðuhafar". Falkadb.forseti.is. 21 October 1936. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
35. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
36. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
37. ^ "President of the Republic of Lithuania - The Belgian Royal Couple pays the first visit to Lithuania". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
38. ^ Bulletin Officiel de la Principauté
39. ^ "Den kongelige norske Sanct Olavs Orden", Norges Statskalender for Aaret 1970 (in Norwegian), Oslo: Forlagt av H. Aschehoug & Co. (w. Nygaard), 1970, p. 1240 - via runeberg.org
40. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Carnet Mondain, [Carnet Mondain, p. 2 ed. 2005] book page with Alberts honours
41. ^ a b "ENTIDADES ESTRANGEIRAS AGRACIADAS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS - Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas". www.ordens.presidencia.pt. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
42. ^ "Cancelaria Ordinelor". canord.presidency.ro.
43. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
44. ^ a b Carnet Mondain, p. 2 ed. 2005
45. ^ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
46. ^ "Institut Roi Albert II - Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc". Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
47. ^ Philippe, Koning der Belgen (12 July 2019). "Koninklijk besluit houdende vaststelling van het wapen van het Koninklijk Huis en van zijn leden" (PDF). Moniteur Belge/ Belgisch Staatsblad. Retrieved 24 July 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Albert II of Belgium at Wikimedia Commons

* Biography on the official Belgian monarchy web site

Albert II of Belgium

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Born: 6 June 1934

Regnal titles
Preceded by

Baudouin

|  King of the Belgians
1993–2013  | Succeeded by

Philippe

Academic offices
Preceded by

Robert van Schendel

|  Invocation Speaker of the College of Europe
1969  | Succeeded by

Jean Rey

* v
* t
* e

Belgian royal princes

Generations are numbered by descent from King Leopold I of Belgium.

1st generation|

* Crown Prince Louis-Philippe
* King Leopold II
* Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders

2nd generation|

* Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant
* Prince Baudouin
* King Albert I

3rd generation|

* King Leopold III
* Prince Charles, Count of Flanders

4th generation|

* King Baudouin
* King Albert II
* Prince Alexandre

5th generation|

* King Philippe
* Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este*
* Prince Laurent

6th generation|

* Prince Gabriel
* Prince Emmanuel
* Prince Amedeo*
* Prince Joachim*

*The  Royal Decree of 2 December 1991 gave titles to husbands and children of any Princess of Belgium by birth

* v
* t
* e

Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Forefather|

Duke Francis I*

1st generation|

* Duke Ernest I*
* Prince Ferdinand*
* King Leopold I of the Belgians*

2nd generation|

| Ducal|

* Duke Ernest II*
* Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom*

|

Koháry|

* King Ferdinand II of Portugal and the Algarves*
* Prince August*
* Prince Leopold*

Belgium|

* Crown Prince Louis Philippe
* King Leopold II
* Prince Philippe

3rd generation|

| United Kingdom|

* King Edward VII
* Duke Alfred I
* Prince Arthur
* Prince Leopold

|

Portugal|

* King Pedro V
* King Luís I
* Infante João
* Infante Fernando
* Infante Augusto

Koháry|

* Prince Philipp
* Prince Ludwig August
* Tsar Ferdinand I of the Bulgarians

Belgium|

* Prince Leopold
* Prince Baudouin
* King Albert I

4th generation|

| United Kingdom|

* Prince Albert Victor
* King George V
* Hereditary Prince Alfred
* Prince Arthur
* Duke Charles Edward I

|

Portugal|

* King Carlos I
* Infante Afonso

Koháry|

* Prince Leopold Clement
* Prince Pedro Augusto
* Prince August Leopold
* Prince Joseph Ferdinand
* Prince Ludwig Gaston

Bulgaria|

* Tsar Boris III
* Prince Kiril

Belgium|

* King Leopold III
* Prince Charles

5th generation|

| United Kingdom|

* King Edward VIII
* King George VI
* Prince Henry
* Prince George
* Prince John
* Prince Alastair

|

Ducal|

* Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold
* Prince Hubertus
* Prince Friedrich Josias

Portugal|

* Prince Luís Filipe
* King Manuel II

Koháry|

* Prince Rainer
* Prince Philipp

Bulgaria|

* Tsar Simeon II

Belgium|

* King Baudouin I
* King Albert II
* Prince Alexandre

6th generation|

| Ducal|

* Prince Andreas

|

Koháry|

* Prince Johannes Heinrich

Bulgaria|

* Prince Kardam
* Prince Kyril

Belgium|

* King Philippe I
* Prince Laurent

7th generation|

| Ducal|

Prince Hubertus

|

Bulgaria|

* Prince Boris

Belgium|

* Prince Gabriel
* Prince Emmanuel

*Titled as Princes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld before 11 February 1826

* v
* t
* e

Monarchs of Belgium

* Baron Surlet de Chokier (Regent)
* Leopold I
* Leopold II
* Albert I
* Leopold III
* Charles (Prince Regent)
* Baudouin
* Albert II
* Philippe

* v
* t
* e

Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm

Grand
Commanders|

* 1958: Tunku Kurshiah
* 1958: Tunku Ismail
* 1958: Tunku Munawir
* 1958: Tengku Yahya Petra
* 1958: Leong Yew Koh
* 1958: Raja Uda
* 1958: Tan Cheng Lock
* 1959: Abdul Razak Hussein
* 1959: Henry Lee Hau Shik
* 1959: Tengku Budriah
* 1961: Abdul Malek Yusuf
* 1964: Abang Openg
* 1964: Mustapha Harun
* 1967: Pengiran Ahmad Raffae
* 1968: Syed Sheh Shahabudin
* 1970: Syed Sheh Barakbah
* 1970: Tuanku Bujang
* 1970: Sharifah Rodziah Barakbah
* 1973: Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid
* 1975: Fuad Stephens
* 1976: Sardon Jubir
* 1976: Syed Zahiruddin
* 1977: Mohd Hamdan Abdullah
* 1978: Abang Muhammad Salahuddin
* 1978: Ahmad Koroh
* 1979: Mohamad Adnan Robert
* 1982: Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
* 1982: Awang Hassan
* 1987: Tunku Ibrahim Ismail
* 1989: Ahmad Zaidi Adruce
* 1989: Hamdan Sheikh Tahir
* 1989: Mohammad Said Keruak
* 1989: Syed Ahmad Shahabuddin
* 1996: Sakaran Dandai
* 2003: Ahmadshah Abdullah
* 2003: Mahathir Mohamad
* 2004: Mohd Khalil Yaakob
* 2009: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
* 2011: Juhar Mahiruddin
* 2014: Abdul Taib Mahmud
* 2020: Mohd Ali Rustam
* 2021: Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak
* 2024: Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Honorary
Grand
Commanders|

* 1958: Lim Yew Hock
* 1959: Djuanda Kartawidjaja
* 1960: Gerald Templer
* 1962: Thanat Khoman
* 1962: Thanom Kittikachorn
* 1963: Norodom Monineath
* 1963: Yusof Ishak
* 1964: Dhani Nivat
* 1964: Hayato Ikeda
* 1964: Masayoshi Ōhira
* 1964: Norodom Kantol
* 1964: Prapas Charusathien
* 1964: Wan Waithayakon
* 1965: Abdel Hakim Amer
* 1965: Ali Sabri
* 1965: Anwar Sadat
* 1965: Zein al-Sharaf bint Jamil
* 1965: Firyal Irshaid
* 1965: Hassan bin Talal
* 1965: Hassan Ibrahim
* 1965: Hussein el-Shafei
* 1965: Chung Il-kwon
* 1965: Muhammad bin Talal
* 1965: Muna Al Hussein
* 1965: Nguyễn Cao Kỳ
* 1965: Hussein ibn Nasser
* 1965: Wasfi al-Tal
* 1965: Zakaria Mohieddin
* 1966: Chang Kay Young
* 1966: James Beveridge Thomson
* 1967: Albert II
* 1967: Eisaku Satō
* 1970: Adam Malik
* 1970: Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1971: Souvanna Phouma
* 1975: Kukrit Pramoj
* 1979: Kriangsak Chamanan
* 1982: Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 1984: Elena Ceaușescu
* 1984: Prem Tinsulanonda
* 1989: Jefri Bolkiah
* 2000: Maha Vajiralongkorn
* 2000: Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 2001: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
* 2003: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
* 2003: Marcello Pera
* 2003: Pier Ferdinando Casini
* 2005: Victoria
* 2010: Moza bint Nasser
* 2011: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
* 2012: Naruhito
* 2012: Masako

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece

Grand Master|

* King Felipe VI of Spain (1981)

Knights|

* King Emeritus Juan Carlos I of Spain (1941)
* King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (1983)
* Emperor Emeritus Akihito of Japan (1985)
* Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (1985)
* Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (1985)
* King Albert II of Belgium (1994)
* King Harald V of Norway (1995)
* Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (2004)
* Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2007)
* Javier Solana (2010)
* Víctor García de la Concha (2010)
* Nicolas Sarkozy (2011)
* Enrique V. Iglesias (2014)
* Leonor, Princess of Asturias (2015)

Note: Within parentheses, the year when inducted into the Order

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Italy
* Belgium
* United States
* Czech Republic

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef

*[m.]: married
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