Philippe of Belgium
| Philippe | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The King celebrating Belgian National Day, 2018 | |||||
| King of the Belgians | |||||
| Reign | 21 July 2013 – present | ||||
| Predecessor | Albert II | ||||
| Heir apparent | Elisabeth | ||||
| Prime Ministers | Elio Di Rupo Charles Michel | ||||
| Born | (1960-04-15) 15 April 1960 Belvédère Castle, Laeken, Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium | ||||
| Spouse | Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz (m. 1999) | ||||
| Issue Detail |
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| House | Belgium (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha branch) | ||||
| Father | Albert II of Belgium | ||||
| Mother | Paola Ruffo di Calabria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Belgian royal family |
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HM King Albert II
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Philippe or Filip[a] (French pronunciation: [filip], Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfi.lɪp], French: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, Dutch: Filip Leopold Lodewijk Maria, German: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria; born 15 April 1960) is the King of the Belgians, having ascended the throne on 21 July 2013, following his father's abdication. He is the eldest child of King Albert II, whom he succeeded upon Albert's abdication for health reasons, and Queen Paola. He married Countess Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz (now Queen Mathilde), with whom he has four children. King Philippe's elder daughter, Princess Elisabeth, is first in the line of succession.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Education
3 Marriage
4 Foreign trade
5 Accession
6 Military ranks
7 Titles, styles, honours and arms
7.1 National honours
7.2 Foreign honours
8 Ancestors
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
Early life
Philippe was born on 15 April 1960 during the reign of his uncle, King Baudouin of Belgium. 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 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.
He was born at the Belvédère Castle in Laeken north of Brussels. He was baptised one month later at the church of Saint Jacques-sur-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]
Education
From 1978 to 1981, Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military Academy in the 118th "Promotion Toutes Armes". On 26 September 1980, he was appointed second lieutenant and took the officer's oath.[3]
He 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.[3]
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, the prince 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.[3]
Marriage
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wave to the crowds in Brussels after Philippe's swearing in as new Belgian monarch.
Philippe married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Walloon Count of 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:
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, born 25 October 2001 at Erasmus Hospital in Brussels
Prince Gabriel, born 20 August 2003 at Erasmus Hospital in Brussels
Prince Emmanuel, born 4 October 2005 at Erasmus Hospital in Brussels
Princess Eléonore, born 16 April 2008 at Erasmus Hospital in 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, Philippe was appointed honorary chairman of the board of the Foreign Trade Agency, replacing the BFTB.[4]
In this capacity, Philippe has headed more than 60 economic missions.[5][6] Upon his accession as seventh King of the Belgians, this role was taken over by his sister Princess Astrid.
Accession
Philippe in Antwerp, 2013
King Albert II announced on 3 July 2013 that he would abdicate in favour of Philippe on 21 July 2013.[7] Approximately one hour after King Albert II's abdication, Prince Philippe was sworn in as King of the Belgians.[8] His eldest child, Princess Elisabeth became his heir apparent and is expected to become Belgium's first queen regnant.
Military ranks
Philippe in 2008 as an Air Force Major General.
26 September 1980 – 21 March 1983:
Belgian Air Force, Second Lieutenant
Belgian Army, Second Lieutenant
Belgian Navy, no rank
21 March 1983 – 1 December 1989:
Belgian Air Force, Captain
Belgian Army, Captain
Belgian Navy, no rank
1 December 1989 – 5 April 2001:
Belgian Air Force, Colonel
Belgian Army, Colonel
Belgian Navy, no rank
5 April 2001 – 25 March 2010:
Belgian Air Component, Major General
Belgian Land Component, Major General
Belgian Marine Component, Divisional Admiral
15 March 2010 – 21 July 2013:
Belgian Air Component, Lieutenant General
Belgian Land Component, Lieutenant General
Belgian Marine Component, Vice Admiral
Since 21 July 2013 (oath as King):
Belgian Air Component, General
Belgian Land Component, General
Belgian Marine Component, Admiral
Belgian Army, Second Lieutenant
  |  |  |  |
Royal Military Academy[9] | Pilot wings[9] | Parachutist badge[9] | Commando badge[9] |
| 123rd TAW (1978–1981) | 9 July 1982 | 28 October 1982 | 17 December 1982 |
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  |   |   |    |    |    | |||||
| 1980 | 1983 | 1989 | 2001 | 2010 | 2013 |
|---|
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Coat of arms of the King of the Belgians
Personal Standard of Philippe, King of the Belgians
- 15 April 1960 – 9 August 1993: His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium
- 9 August 1993 – 21 July 2013: His Royal Highness The Duke of Brabant
- 21 July 2013 – present: His Majesty The King of the Belgians
National honours
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | Grand Master of the Order of Leopold | 21 July 2013[10] |
 | Grand Master of the Order of the African Star | 21 July 2013[10] |
 | Grand Master of the Royal Order of the Lion | 21 July 2013[10] |
 | Grand Master of the Order of the Crown | 21 July 2013[10] |
 | Grand Master of the Order of Leopold II | 21 July 2013[10] |
Foreign honours
| Ribbon bar | Country | Honour | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Argentina | Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín | 6 May 1994[11] |
 | Bolivia | Grand Cross of the Order of the Condor of the Andes | 9 September 1996[11] |
 | Denmark | Knight of the Order of the Elephant | 28 May 2002[11] |
 | Finland | Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose | 30 March 2004[11][12] |
 | France | Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour | 6 February 2014[13] |
 | Germany | Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of Germany | 6 March 2016[14] |
 | Greece | Grand Cross of the Order of Honour | 1 February 2005[11] |
 | Hungary | Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary | 18 April 2008[11] |
 | Japan | Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum | 9 October 2016[15] |
 | Jordan | Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali | 18 May 2016[16] |
 | Luxembourg | Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau | 15 March 1999[11] |
 | Netherlands | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | 28 November 2016[17] |
 | Netherlands | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau | 6 May 1993[11] |
 | Norway | Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav | 20 May 2003[11][18] |
 | Poland | Knight of the Order of the White Eagle | 13 October 2015[19] |
 | Poland | Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland | 18 October 2004[11] |
 | Portugal | Grand Cross of the Order of Christ | 18 October 2005[11][20] |
 | Portugal | Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz | 18 September 1997[21] |
 | Portugal | Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry | 22 October 2018[22] |
 | Spain | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic | 16 May 2000[11] |
 | Sweden | Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim | 7 May 2001[11] |
 | Turkey | Member of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey | 4 October 2015[23] |
 | Vatican City | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre | 19 October 1995[11] |
Ancestors
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See also
- Line of succession to the Belgian throne
- Prince Philippe Fund
Notes
^ Alternatively Filip in Dutch, and Philipp in German
References
^ J.M. (8 May 2001). "Le baptême en l'église royale..." dh.be (in French). Retrieved 11 December 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Prince Philippe : la ligne du temps d'une vie passée devant les caméras". RTBF.be (in French). Retrieved 11 December 2015.
^ abc "The Belgian Monarchy". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
^ "The Belgian Monarchy". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
^ Agence pour le Commerce extérieur, Missions antérieures
^ "Official Royal Website Archives". Monarchie.be. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
^ Price, Matthew (3 July 2013). "Belgium's King Albert II announces abdication". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
^ "Belgium's King Albert II gives up throne to son". CNN. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
^ abcd 21 July 2012, photo showing the commando badge, the blue wing of the parachutist badge under the ribbon of the Order of Leopold, the pilot wing, the omega sign of Royal Academy "Promotion toutes armes"
^ abcde Automatically upon ascending the throne.
^ abcdefghijklmn "Biographies of Members of the Belgian Senate" (PDF). Belgian Senate. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Finnish State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
^ "Sword Beach, Ouistreham, France, 6 June 2014". Alamy. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
^ "German State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Belgian State Visit to Japan – Day One Pictures". Noblesse & Royautés. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Jordanian State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Vanitatis. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Belgian State Visit to the Netherlands – Day One Pictures". The World of Royals. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Norwegian State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Belgian State Visit to Poland – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Portuguese State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Belgian State Visit to Portugal – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Belgian State Visit to Portugal – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
^ "Turkish State Visit to Belgium – Day One Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
External links
 | Wikiquote has quotations related to: Philippe of Belgium |
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Philippe of Belgium. |
- Official biography from the Belgian Royal Family website
DHnet Article (French) about Prince Philippe's education and military career.
Philippe of Belgium House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Born: 15 April 1960 | ||
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| Preceded by Albert II | King of the Belgians 2013–present | Incumbent Heir apparent: Elisabeth |
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Vacant Title last held by Baudouin | Duke of Brabant 1993–2013 | Succeeded by Elisabeth |
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