Albert II reigned as the sixth King of the Belgians from 1993 until his abdication in 2013.
Background
King Albert II was born on 6 June 1934 in Stuyvenberg Castle, Laeken, Brussels. He is the son of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid, born princess of Sweden. He is the younger brother of the Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg and King Baudouin, whom he succeeded upon Baudouin's death in 1993. He is currently the last child of Leopold III and Astrid still alive.
Education
Albert was educated at home and in Geneva and Brussels and entered the Belgian navy in 1953.
King Albert II is Doctor Honoris Causa of: the Catholic University of Leuven; the Saint Louis University, Baguio City; Ghent University, Free University of Brussels; the Catholic university of Mons; Polytechnic Faculty of Mons.
Career
Belgium found itself unexpectedly with a new king when King Baudoin died on July 31, 1993. Baudoin had no children, and nine days later his younger brother, Albert, took the oath as king of the Belgians (the constitutional title of the Belgian monarch). Albert was only three years younger than Baudoin. He did not step aside in favor of his son, Philippe, as had been anticipated; at 33 years of age Philippe was rumored to be still unready for the responsibilities of the monarch.
The throne of Belgium was no longer itself in peril, as it had been under Leopold III because of his disputed role in the surrender of Belgium to the Germans in World War II. After Leopold's abdication in 1950, Baudoin had brought stability but not harmony to a country gripped by a struggle between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. At the time of his death Belgium had begun a far-reaching federalization that made the maintenance of Belgian unity as a country questionable. The wave of mourning over Baudoin's passing brought Flemings and Walloons together in support of the monarchy, and there was no support for an anarchist deputy who shouted in favor of a European republic before Albert took his oath. It was thought by some that the rush to full separation into independent states, anticipated for early in the next century, would be halted by the new king's influence and the resurgent commitment to the dynasty.
The extent to which Albert would be able to play the part of mediator and peacemaker remained uncertain, however. As a constitutional monarch, the king of the Belgians may take no independent political action. The monarch is compelled to be extremely careful in using his influence as a symbol, especially since the reigns of two previous kings, Leopold II and Leopold III, had been marked by bitter and never fully resolved controversy over their policies.
Subtlety, persuasiveness, patience, and imperturbability, as well as deep knowledge and understanding of issues, are required for a king. This is where there was anxiety about whether the new king could effectively carry through the healing and reconciliation for which he pleaded in his speech to the Parliament on taking the throne. His experience, apart from the largely honorary offices bestowed upon him as heir to the throne, was chiefly as an enthusiastic supporter of Belgian business interests abroad. Honorary chairman of the Belgian Office of Foreign Trade since 1962, he was often called "Belgian's traveling salesman. " As such he had been known as an affable head of numerous economic missions, with considerable expertise particularly in transportation issues. While leaving the hard work of negotiating to businessmen and economists, he provided the flattering presence of what the British call a "royal. " How effective he would be in the hornet's nest of Belgian domestic politics remained to be seen. His obvious desire to preserve Belgian national unity was aided by the fact that he had not taken sides in the Flemish-Walloon conflict.
The serene aura of King Albert II's Belgium was marred in 1996 by a series of unsettling scandals in the region. The murders of several children led to the discovery of a pedophile ring. Investigations surrounding these crimes started a chain reaction which ultimately led to the discovery of excess, corruption, and other serious inadequacies in the nation's system of law enforcement. The king, who has no powers of government, spoke out freely and expressed his outrage on more than one occassion. He called for "profound change" in the wake of nationwide demonstrations over the incidents.
King Albert II and the members of the royal family take a deep interest in social and humanitarian issues including health care, wildlife, and the environment. These modern royals sponsor a site on the Internet with news and tourist information concerning the Kingdom of Belgium.
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. 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. 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 son, Philippe. Albert II retained the title of King after the abdication, and has since been styled as His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium.
Achievements
Religion
Baudoin, as a devout Catholic, found himself unwilling to sign a law permitting abortion, he withdrew from his office for a day to permit it to go into effect.
Membership
He is a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Interests
On the personal side, King Albert II is an ardent fan of fast motorcycle driving (sometimes halted but not charged by highway police). He is known to enjoy good living, although he was not a member of the international "jet set. "
Connections
Like his predecessors on the throne, he was lucky in his marriage. After a storybook romance, he married an Italian princess, Paola Ruffo di Calabria, in 1959. She became very popular in Belgium, so that Albert was soon dubbed "Paola's husband. " They had three children, Philippe, Astrid, and Laurent. In 1984 Princess Astrid married Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. The couple's four children, Amedeo, Maria, Laura, and Luisa Maria, were born in Belgium. Because of uncertainty about Philippe's eventual readiness to follow his father to the throne, there was some speculation that Astrid might become queen, the first in Belgian history.
Father:
Leopold III
Mother:
Astrid of Sweden
Spouse:
Queen Paola of Belgium
Brother:
Baudouin
Daughter:
Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Belgium, His Royal Highness The Prince of Liège, His Majesty The King of the Belgians, His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium