"Queen Mathilde of Belgium Queen Mathilde of Belgium (born ""Jonkvrouw"" Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz on 20 January 1973) is the wife of King Philippe, who ascended the throne following the abdication of his father, King Albert II, on 21 July 2013. She is the first Belgian-born Queen of the Belgians. Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz was born on 20 January 1973 in Ukkel, Belgium. Mathilde is the oldest of five children. The d'Udekem d'Acoz family were of aristocratic origins; her grandfather and her uncle were barons while she and her father were a part of the untitled nobility. Mathilde grew up at the"
"been styled as ""His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium"". After his abdication on 21 July 2013 it was decided that he would be styled as ""His Majesty"" King Albert II, the same form of address granted to his father, Leopold III, after his abdication. King Albert II is Doctor Honoris Causa of: Albert II of Belgium Albert II (born 6 June 1934) reigned as the King of the Belgians from 1993 until his abdication in 2013. King Albert II is the son of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid, born princess of Sweden. He is the younger brother of"
"Inauguration of Willem-Alexander The inauguration of Willem-Alexander as the new monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took place on 30 April 2013. Queen Beatrix announced on 28 January 2013 that she would abdicate in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander. He is the first King of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather King William III in 1890. On 28 January 2013, three days before her 75th birthday, Queen Beatrix announced on a televised speech that she would abdicate, ending a reign of 33 years. Abdication is not uncommon in Dutch royalty. Both Queen Juliana, her mother, and"
"Queen Wilhelmina, her grandmother, have abdicated. On 30 April 2013 at 10:07 AM, Queen Beatrix signed the Instrument of Abdication, making Willem-Alexander the monarch even before the investiture. Later, Willem-Alexander was invested at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. Notable guests include: Inauguration of Willem-Alexander The inauguration of Willem-Alexander as the new monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took place on 30 April 2013. Queen Beatrix announced on 28 January 2013 that she would abdicate in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander. He is the first King of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather King William III in"
"over the years on ""Koninginnedag"": On 28 January 2013 Queen Beatrix announced her abdication on 30 April 2013 in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander. Since this date coincided with ""Koninginnedag"" the royal family's planned visit to De Rijp and Amstelveen was cancelled, although ""Koninginnedag"" 2013 was still celebrated throughout the country. On 30 April 2013, Queen's Day, Willem-Alexander succeeded his mother Beatrix and became the first King of the Netherlands in 123 years. Consequently, from 2014 onwards the name has been changed from Queen's Day to King's Day. The date has also changed from 30 to 27 April, which is"
"Belgians"", not the ""King of Belgium"". While in a referendum held on 12 March 1950, 57.68 percent of the Belgians voted in favor of allowing Léopold III, whose conduct during World War II had been considered questionable and who had been accused of treason, to return to the throne; due to civil unrest, he opted to abdicate in favor of his son Baudouin I on 16 July 1951. The current monarch is Philippe. In Denmark, the monarchy goes back to the prehistoric times of the legendary kings, before the 10th century and the Danish monarchy is the oldest in Europe."
"at the wedding of her cousin and godfather, Prince Amedeo. On 21 July 2013, once her father had taken the oath of office as King of the Belgians (his father, King Albert II, having abdicated shortly before), Princess Elisabeth became heir apparent to the throne and as such bears the title of Duchess of Brabant. Elisabeth is currently studying at UWC Atlantic College, with the goal of completing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the May 2020 session. Ten years prior to Elisabeth's birth, a new act of succession was put into effect which introduced absolute primogeniture, meaning that Elisabeth"
"the nearby Place Poelart, Rue de la Régence, Place Royale and surroundings which explain their roles to the public. Many notable buildings in Brussels that are usually closed are also open to the public on National Day. A variety of entertainment is presented in several venues around the city, particularly in the city center. In the evening, a large fireworks display occurs in the Parc de Bruxelles. Smaller events occur in towns and cities across Belgium and in Belgian émigré communities abroad. On National Day 2013, King Albert II formally abdicated as King of the Belgians and his son, Philippe,"
"of Flanders or Prince of Liège). Source : www.monarchie.be, Prince Laurent Prince Laurent of Belgium Prince Laurent of Belgium (, ; born 19 October 1963) is the second son of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and younger brother of King Philippe. Laurent's involvement with animal welfare and the environment, together with a relative lack of interest in protocol, has caused him to be dubbed by elements of the popular Belgian press as (the ""eco-blunderer""). Currently, he is 12th in the Belgian line of succession. He had been as high as third in line, but the constitution was amended in"
"Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (; born Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, 27 April 1967) is the King of the Netherlands, having ascended the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the oldest child of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. He became Prince of Orange as heir apparent upon his mother's accession as queen on 30 April 1980, and succeeded her following her abdication on 30 April 2013. He went to public primary and secondary schools, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti"
"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. 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."" 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"
"Settlement, King Willem-Alexander temporarily forfeited his (distant) succession rights to the throne of the United Kingdom by marrying a Roman Catholic. This right has since been restored in 2015 under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (; born Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, 27 April 1967) is the King of the Netherlands, having ascended the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the oldest child of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. He became Prince of Orange as heir apparent upon his mother's accession as queen on 30"
"Baudouin of Belgium Baudouin (, ; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) reigned as the King of the Belgians, following his father's abdication, from 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of Congo. He was the elder son of King Leopold III (1901–83) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905–35). Because he had no children with his wife, Fabiola de Mora, the crown passed to his younger brother, Albert II (formerly Prince of Liège), following his death. Baudouin was born in the Château du Stuyvenberg, near Laeken, Brussels, in"
"he became, and remains, Europe's second-youngest monarch. He is also the first male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather William III in 1890. Willem-Alexander was one of four new monarchs to take the throne in 2013 along with Pope Francis, the Emir Tamim bin Hamad of Qatar, and King Philippe of Belgium. Willem-Alexander is an avid pilot and has said that if he had not been a royal, he would have liked to be an airline pilot so he could fly big planes such as the Boeing 747. During the reign of his mother, he regularly"
"the Netherlands. On 28 January 2013, the Queen announced that she would be abdicating on 30 April 2013 in favour of her eldest son. The current monarch is King Willem-Alexander (born 1967), who has been on the Throne since 30 April 2013. He studied history at the University of Leiden and became actively involved in water management. His wife is Queen Máxima (née Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti), an economics major, whose father was a minister of agriculture in the dictatorial regime under General Videla in Argentina. Because of that their relationship was accompanied by fierce public debate and only officially sanctioned"
"Mathilde of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant a day before their wedding, and became, from 21 July 2013, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians. She is a daughter of the late Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz (made a count prior to the wedding) and his wife, Countess Anna Maria Komorowska. They have four children: Monarchy of Belgium The monarchy of Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy whose incumbent is titled the ""King"" or ""Queen of the Belgians"" (, , ) and serves as the country's head of state. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830. The incumbent, Philippe, ascended"
"of the Belgians. 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. In 1984, he set up the Prince Albert Foundation, to promote expertise in foreign trade. 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. Albert sparked controversy in his December 2012 Christmas speech by comparing modern ""populist movements"" with"
"told police he was deliberately targeting the royal family. In a broadcast on national media on 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced her intention to abdicate on 30 April (Queen's Day), when she would have been on the throne for exactly 33 years. Beatrix stated that it was time to ""place the responsibility for the country in the hands of a new generation."" Her heir apparent was her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander. She was the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate, following her grandmother and her mother. The broadcast was followed by a statement from Prime Minister Mark Rutte who paid"
"Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (; ; born 25 October 2001), is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. The eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, she acquired her position after her grandfather King Albert II abdicated in favour of her father on 21 July 2013. The first child of the then Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Elisabeth was delivered by Caesarean section at 21:58 CET on 25 October 2001 at the Erasmus Hospital, the teaching hospital of Université libre de Bruxelles in Anderlecht, Brussels. She was baptized on 9 December 2001 in"
"II of Belgium. Since then, he may call himself baron. Jef Colruyt is highly interested in spirituality and easters philosophies. After he had a heart attack in 2007, he went to a Hindu monastery in Bali to revitalise body and mind. Jef Colruyt Jozef Maria Damiaan ""Jef"", Baron Colruyt (born 18 October 1958, Halle) is a Belgian businessman. In 1994 he succeeded his father Jo Colruyt as head of Colruyt, a company with more than 26,000 employees. With an estimated fortune of 2.521 billion euro, he is one of the wealthiest people of Belgium. King Albert II decided by royal"
"questioned his loyalties, but a commission of inquiry exonerated him of treason after the war. Though reinstated in a plebiscite, the controversy surrounding Leopold led to his abdication. During the war, following D-Day the king was deported by command of Adolf Hitler to Hirschstein. King Leopold III requested the Belgian Government and the Parliament to approve a law delegating his royal powers to his son, Prince Baudouin, who took the constitutional oath before the United Chambers of the Belgian Parliament as Prince Royal on 11 August 1950. He ascended the throne and became the fifth King of the Belgians upon"
"Prince Laurent of Belgium Prince Laurent of Belgium (, ; born 19 October 1963) is the second son of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and younger brother of King Philippe. Laurent's involvement with animal welfare and the environment, together with a relative lack of interest in protocol, has caused him to be dubbed by elements of the popular Belgian press as (the ""eco-blunderer""). Currently, he is 12th 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 who"
"Prince Emmanuel of Belgium Prince Emmanuel of Belgium (""Emmanuel Léopold Guillaume François Marie""; born 4 October 2005) is the second son and third child of King Philippe of Belgium and Queen consort Mathilde of Belgium. He is currently third in line to the throne of Belgium after his older sister, Princess Elisabeth, and brother, Prince Gabriel. Emmanuel was born at the Erasmus Hospital the teaching hospital of Université libre de Bruxelles in Anderlecht on 4 October 2005. He was christened at the chapel of Ciergnon Castle in the Belgian Ardennes on 10 December 2005. His godparents were: his maternal aunt,"
"line up to 14 hours in sweltering heat to see their King one last time. Along with other members of European royalty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom attended the funeral (the only foreign state funeral ever attended by her in person as monarch). King Baudouin was interred in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. He was succeeded by his younger brother, who became King Albert II. Titles and Styles Baudouin of Belgium Baudouin (, ; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) reigned as the King of the Belgians, following his"
"Prince Gabriel of Belgium Prince Gabriel of Belgium (, ; born 20 August 2003) is the first son and second child of King Philippe of Belgium and Queen consort Mathilde of Belgium. He is currently second in line to the throne of Belgium after his older sister Elisabeth. Gabriel was born in the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht, Brussels, on 20 August 2003. Gabriel was christened at Ciergnon Castle on October 25, 2003. His godparents are: his maternal uncle, Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz; and Baroness Maria Christina von Freyberg (paternal second cousin). His older sister, Elisabeth, precedes him in the line"
"abdicated king. The new Belgian monarch is required to take the Belgian constitutional oath, ""I swear to observe the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people, to maintain the national independence and the integrity of the territory,"" which is uttered in the three official languages: French, Dutch, and German. Members of the Belgian royal family are often known by two names: a Dutch and a French one. For example, the current monarch is called 'Philippe' in French and 'Filip' in Dutch; the fifth King of the Belgians was 'Baudouin' in French and 'Boudewijn' in Dutch. In contrast to King"
"civil society), patron of Veterans' Day and held several other patronages and posts. On 28 January 2013, Beatrix announced her intention of abdicating. On the morning of 30 April, Beatrix signed the instrument of abdication at the ""Moseszaal"" (Moses Hall) at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Later that afternoon, Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as king in front of the joint assembly of the States General in a ceremony held at the Nieuwe Kerk. As king, Willem-Alexander has weekly meetings with the prime minister and speaks regularly with ministers and state secretaries. He also signs all new Acts of Parliament and royal"
"April 2013. On that day, Willem-Alexander became the new King and was sworn in and inaugurated in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, in a session of the States-General. The heir apparent to the Dutch throne is Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange. Most members of the Dutch royal family, in addition to other titles hold (or held) the princely title Prince of Orange-Nassau. The children of Prince Friso and Prince Constantijn are instead counts and countesses of Orange-Nassau. In addition to the titles King/Prince of the Netherlands and Prince of Orange-Nassau, daughters of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld hold another"
"Garden of Prince Charles of Belgium"" (Editions Tarmeye, 1991) and ""Carnets Intimes"" (Editions Tarmeye, 1993). Prince Charles, Count of Flanders Prince Charles of Belgium, Count of Flanders (, ; 10 October 1903 – 1 June 1983) was the second son of Albert I, King of the Belgians and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. Born in Brussels, he served in lieu of his older brother King Leopold III from 1944 until 1950 as prince regent until Leopold was allowed to return to Belgium. However, shortly after returning and resuming his monarchical duties, Leopold abdicated in favour of his heir apparent, his elder"
"by the Allies in 1945. The aftermath of the Liberation of Belgium from German forces at the end of World War II saw a prolonged period of political crisis, known as the Royal Question, over whether King Leopold III could return to his position as monarch. The crisis came to a head in 1950, when Leopold decided to abdicate in favour of his son, Baudouin. On 11 August 1950 Baudouin took the constitutional oath as future King before the united Chambers of the Belgium Parliament. During the proceedings, one of the Communist deputies present shouted ""Vive la République!"" (""Long Live"
"political instability pressured him to abdicate in 1951. Leopold was born in Brussels and succeeded to the throne of Belgium on 23 February 1934, following the death of his father King Albert I. Prince Leopold was born in Brussels, the first child of King Albert I of the Belgians and his consort, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. His father became King of the Belgians, as Albert I, in 1909 and Prince Leopold became Duke of Brabant, heir to the Belgian throne. He was sent by his father to Eton College in the United Kingdom in 1915. After the war, in 1919,"
"with her children. When Prince Amedeo married in 2014, it was reported that he did not ask his uncle King Philippe's permission, and had therefore lost his right to the Belgian throne. However, on November 12, 2015, a Royal Decree was published which showed that consent had been given after the marriage retroactively. Line of succession to the Belgian throne There are fifteen persons in the line of succession to the Belgian throne. The monarch is considered to have acceeded to the throne upon her/his taking of the oath as required by article 91 of the constitution. Since 1991, Belgium"
"A draft law was passed with 299 in favour, 19 against and 23 abstaining. On 18 June, he signed the organic law passed by parliament several hours before his abdication took effect. Felipe was enthroned on 19 June 2014, and Juan Carlos's granddaughter Leonor became the new Princess of Asturias. Juan Carlos thus became the fourth European monarch to abdicate in just over a year, following Pope Benedict XVI (28 February 2013), Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (30 April 2013), and King Albert II of Belgium (21 July 2013). The Spanish constitution at the time of the abdication did not"