Albert II of Belgium

Its childhood

Its childhood and its adolescence are marked by the accidental death of his/her mother, the August 29th 1935, in Küssnacht, in Switzerland and the Second world war. He will live this one in France, in Spain but especially mainly with Brussels. The June 6th 1944 mark the tenth birthday of the young prince but also the unloading in Normandy. The royal family is then taken along to Germany, then to Austria, where it was released the June 7th 1945 by the American troops. This release does not mean the return to the country. The “royal Question” obliges the royal family to be exiled in Switzerland until July 1950. The August 11th 1950, the older brother of Albert, prince Baudouin, Duke of the Brabant, becomes royal prince, then king of the Belgians the July 17th 1951, the shortly after the abdication of his/her father, the king Léopold III.

Prince Albert, brother of the king

Of return in Belgium, prince Albert undertakes his military formation in the Belgian naval force. He will be promoted suction in 1953, sign of vessel in 1954, lieutenant in 1957, commander in 1959, captain in 1964 and finally commodore in 1971.

In 1954, it obtains its first official role: presidency of the general advice of the general Case of saving and retirement (CGER). It will remain there until its suppression in 1991.

The prince of Liege becomes the godfather of his nephew the large-duke Henri I {{er}} of Luxembourg (born in 1955) and of his/her half-sister the princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium (born in 1956).

The July 2nd 1959, it marries in Brussels Paola Ruffo di Calabria, resulting from an Italian princely family. They settle with the castle of the View-point. Following the absence of heir to the royal couple, it is prince Albert and the Paola princess who will ensure the future of the dynasty with their three children: Philippe (born on April 15th, 1960), Astrid (born on June 5th, 1962) and Laurent (born on October 19th, 1963). At the end of the Years 1960, the princely couple will undergo a long marital crisis and a divorce will be considered before their reconciliation. It is during this time that will be born his/her daughter except marriage, Delphine Boël, girl of the baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, then married to Jacques Boël.

In 1958, he becomes president of the Croix-Rouge of Belgium, senator of right and honorary president of the Belgian Olympic committee and interfédéral (COIB). In 1962, it accepts the presidency of honor of the Belgian Office of the foreign trade and carries out a hundred economic missions everywhere in the world. Prince Albert occupies these functions until his accession with the throne.

In order to pay homage to him, the Federation of the Companies of Belgium and the foundation King Baudouin create in 1984 the funds Prince Albert, which gives each year of the purses for the formation of Belgian junior managers which intend to launch out in the Exportation.

Albert II, sixth king of the Belgian

Following the death of his brother Baudouin, Albert lends oath on August 9th, 1993 like sixth king of the Belgians. Contrary to its five predecessors, it reigns on a Federal state, of which it signed the new constitution on February 17th, 1994. Albert II estimates that its main role is to encourage and to support the agreement between the federal level, the three areas and the three communities. He preaches a better knowledge of the three national languages and denounces in 2006 “explicit or felted separatism”.

Partisan of a multicultural company, it regularly denounces in his speeches racism and xenophobia and actively supports the Center for the equal opportunity and the fight against racism. Since its accession with the throne, it did not receive in audience any representative of the extreme-right-hand side and does not invite them to the receptions of the royal palace.

At the time of the Business Dutroux in 1996, the royal couple receives during one week all the parents of missing children. The King makes then very critical speeches towards the police force and justice, without to be annoyed with the government Dehaene II. He militates for creation in Brussels of Child Focus, the European center for missing children and sexually exploited, whose Paola queen becomes president of honor. During these animated months, monarchy is the only Belgian institution to leave reinforced.

Like his brother, Albert II is an European convinced who supports all the initiatives in favor of European construction, like the passage of the Belgian Franc with the Euro or creation of a future common army. He grants also much attention to the old Belgian colonies of central Africa and to the image of Belgium abroad.

On the religious level, the royal couple is believer and practitioner but, contrary to king Baudouin, the king Albert II keeps his religious convictions on the private level and respects the democratic choices of the Parliament: he thus affixed his signature on the law dépénalisant the euthanasia and the law authorizing the homosexual marriages, in spite of the opposition of the Catholic church. The baptisms of all its grandchildren are celebrated in deprived and does not give place to any official ceremony. This attitude is in conformity with the sights of the defenders of the secularity of the State.

In the cultural field, the Paola queen creates an artistic committee charged to integrate the Belgian contemporary art into the Royal palace of Brussels, built at the 19th century. Works of Jan Fabre, Marthe Wéry, Dirk Braeckman and Patrick Corillon are inaugurated in 2002 and 2004.

With his wife, it modernized Belgian monarchy considerably and opened it with the media. In 2006, it removed the post of Large Marshal of the Court, considered to be obsolete.

As the Belgian Constitution authorizes there, the King grants each year about fifteen titles of nobility to deserving Belgians. Here some examples: the astronaut Frank De Winne, the president of the International Olympic committee Jacques Rogge, the business men Maurice Lippens, Albert Frère and Aldo Vastapane, the draftsman François Schuiten, the choreographer Anne-Teresa De Keersmaeker, the painter Roger Raveel, the scenario writer Andre Delvaux, the musician of jazz Toots Thielemans, the champion cycle Eddy Merckx, etc

The king Albert II is Baillif Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion of the sovereign and military Ordre of Malta and honorary doctor of the the University of Louvain, of the Saint-Louis University in Baguio City (Philippines), of the Université of Ghent, the Universit3e libre de Bruxelles, the catholic university Facultés of Mons and of the polytechnic Faculty of Mons. Since its accession with the throne, it is Grand Master about Léopold.

Holder of many foreign decorations, Albert II is one of the only European Heads of State to being at the same time knight of the Austrian Golden Fleece (decreed in 1962 by the archduke Otto de Habsbourg) and knight of the Spanish Golden Fleece (decreed in 1994 by the king Juan Carlos).

Order of succession with the throne of Belgium

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