by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
King Albert II of Belgium; Credit – Wikipedia
King Albert II of Belgium, who abdicated in favor of his son Philippe in 2013, was born at Stuyvenberg Castle in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium on June 6, 1934, the youngest child of the future King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. He was given the name Albert in honor of his grandfather Albert I, King of the Belgians who was killed in a mountain climbing accident on February 17, 1934, four months before his birth. The day after his birth, he was created The Prince of Liège.
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Albert being carried into the church for his christening. He is followed by his father and mother and then his elder sister and elder brother.
Albert was christened with the names Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie in June 1934 at the Church of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium. His godparents were:
- Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, his paternal grandmother, born Elisabeth of Bavaria
- Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg
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Albert on the left with his siblings
Albert had two older siblings:
- Princess Josephine-Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1927 – 2005), married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, had two daughters and three sons
- Baudouin, King of the Belgians (1930 – 1993), married Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, no children
Albert also had three half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Lilian Baels:
- Prince Alexandre (1942-2009), married Léa Inga Dora Wolman, no children
- Princess Marie-Christine (born 1951), married (1) Paul Drucker, no children, divorced (2) Jean-Paul Gourgues, no children
- Princess Marie-Esméralda (born 1956), married Sir Salvador Moncada, had two children
Albert’s early years were rather tumultuous, with several deaths in his immediate family, and the onset of World War II. Just a few months before his birth, his grandfather, King Albert I died in a mountain climbing accident, and his father became King Leopold III. The following year, on August 29, 1935, his mother Queen Astrid was killed in a car accident in Switzerland. In May 1940, when the German forces were invading Belgium, Albert and his siblings were evacuated from Belgium, settling in France and then Spain, before returning in August of the same year. During the next four years, the family was under house arrest at the Palace of Laeken, where Albert and his siblings were schooled privately.
In 1944, the family was sent to Germany and then to Austria by the Germans, where they would remain until being liberated by American forces in 1945. Because of the tense political situation in Belgium, the family settled in Switzerland for several years, while King Leopold III’s brother, Charles, served as Regent. While in Switzerland, Albert and his brother attended the Institut Le Rosey, in Rolle. Finally, in July 1950, Albert, his brother Baudouin, and their father returned to Belgium. However, the political situation was still tense, and there were many questions about King Leopold’s actions relating to the war. The following month, King Leopold transferred much of his authority to his elder son Baudouin and would ultimately abdicate in his favor in 1951. As Baudouin was unmarried and had no children, Albert became the heir-presumptive to the Belgian throne.
In November 1958, while at a reception in Rome for the coronation of Pope John XXIII, Albert met Paola Ruffo di Calabria, from an Italian princely family. Following a brief courtship, their engagement was announced in early 1959. The couple married on July 2, 1959, at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula in Brussels.
They took up residence at the Château de Belvédère, in the Royal Park of Laeken, and had three children:
- Philippe, King of the Belgians (born 1960), married Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, had four children
- Princess Astrid of Belgium (born 1962), married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, had five children
- Prince Laurent of Belgium (born 1963), married Claire Coombs, had three children
During his years as heir presumptive, Albert’s primary role was as Honorary President of the Board of Directors of the Belgian Foreign Trade Office. In this position, he traveled extensively on trade missions and promoting Belgian companies around the world. He held this position from 1962 until his accession in 1993 and was succeeded by his son, Prince Philippe. He was also President of the Belgian Red Cross from 1958 until 1993 and was succeeded by his daughter, Princess Astrid.
On July 31, 1993, King Baudouin died suddenly at his vacation home in Portugal. Albert became King Albert II of the Belgians and was formally sworn in on August 9th. Breaking with tradition, he chose to remain at the Château de Belvédère, and not move to the Palace of Laeken which had traditionally been the home of the sovereign.
In 1999, stories began to emerge that the King had fathered an illegitimate daughter. According to the allegations, Albert had an affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps Boël, and a daughter was born in 1968. This daughter, Delphine Boël, attempted to prove legally that she was Albert’s daughter. However, King Albert never made any public acknowledgment of these allegations. In November 2018, a court ruling ordered Albert to submit to a DNA test to determine whether he was Boël’s biological father. In May 2019, a Brussels Court of Appeals sentenced the former king to pay a fine of 5,000 Euros per day for every day he refused to take a DNA test. Later in May 2019, Albert agreed to submit his DNA for a paternity test. In January 2020, it was made public that Albert was Delphine Boël’s biological father. In October 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine is entitled to the title of Princess of Belgium and the style of Royal Highness. This also applies to her children. Delphine is also entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate, a share equal to his legitimate children.
King Albert’s illegitimate daughter with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps Boël:
- Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968), married James O’Hare, an American, had two children, now styled Princess Joséphine of Belgium and Prince Oscar of Belgium
A photo made available by the Belgian Royal Palace of Queen Paola, King Albert, and Princess Delphine; Credit – Belgium Royal Palace
On October 25, 2020, King Albert and his wife Queen Paola met with Princess Delphine for the first time since she was recognized as a royal at Belvédère Castle in Brussels. A joint statement by all three was released: “On Sunday, October 25, a new chapter began, filled with emotions, appeasement, understanding and also of hope. Our meeting took place at Belvédère Castle, a meeting during which each of us was able to express our feelings and experiences serenely and with empathy. After the turmoil, suffering, and hurt, it is time for forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. Together we decided to take this new path. This will take patience and effort, but we are determined.”
In early July 2013, King Albert announced his intention to abdicate, citing health reasons. On July 21, 2013, Belgium’s National Day, he signed the formal document of abdication and was succeeded by his son, King Philippe. King Albert and Queen Paola have remained largely out of the public eye, preferring to live a quiet retirement, enjoying time with their children and twelve grandchildren.
King Albert and Queen Paola at the wedding of their grandson Prince Amadeo, July 2014. photo: Zimbio
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