Monarchy of Belgium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Belgium
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Belgium

Constitution King Albert II Federal Government Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt Federal Parliament Senate Chamber of Representatives Political parties Elections Federal: 2003, 2007 Regional: 2004 Local: 2000, 2006 Subdivisions Communities and regions Provinces EU Politics Foreign relations
Other countries · Politics Portal view • talk • edit

Successive Belgian kings are

Dates	English name	French name	Dutch name	Relationship
1831-1865	Leopold I	Léopold I^er	Leopold I
1865-1909	Leopold II	Léopold II	Leopold II	his son
1909-1934	Albert I	Albert I^er	Albert I	his nephew
1934-1951	Leopold III	Léopold III	Leopold III	his son
1951-1993	Baudouin I	Baudouin I^er	Boudewijn I	his son
1993-Present	Albert II	Albert II	Albert II	his younger brother

Regents

None of these were "King of Belgium": their title is King of the Belgians. The latter phrase indicates a popular monarchy linked to the people of Belgium, whereas the former would indicate standard constitutional or absolute monarchy linked to territory and a state. Similarly, King Louis Philippe was proclaimed "King of the French" in 1830, not the traditional "King of France". The now abolished Greek monarchy similarly was titled "King of the Hellenes", indicating a personal link with the people, not just the state. Moreover, the Latin translation of "King of Belgium" would have been Rex Belgium, which from 1815 was the name for the King of the Netherlands. Therefore the Belgian separatists had to choose a Rex Belgarum.

It is also noteworthy that Belgium is the only current European monarchy that does not apply the tradition of the new king automatically ascending the throne upon the death or abdication of the former king. According to the Belgian constitution, the king only accedes to the throne when he takes a constitutional oath. For example, the present king did not become monarch on July 31, 1993 (the day his brother died) but on August 9, 1993 (when he took the constitutional oath). In all other current monarchies, the monarch becomes a monarch the moment his/her predecessor dies or abdicates.

Belgium has three official languages, of which Dutch (called also Flemish) and French are the most important. Many kings and members of the royal family are known under two names: a Dutch and a French one. For example, the current heir apparent is called Philippe in French and Filip in Dutch; the fifth King of the Belgians was Baudouin in French and Boudewijn in Dutch; the three kings who are known as Léopold in French are known as Leopold (without accent) in Dutch.

In German, which is Belgium's third official language, kings are usually referred to under their French names. The same is true for English (with the exception of Leopold, where the accent is removed for simplicity).

In Belgium, kings are always officially known with an ordinal, even when they are the first of their name. So King Baudouin was "King Baudouin I", even though there has not yet been a "King Baudouin II". (This is contrary to the system of ordinals used in Britain.)

1 Involvement in the Belgian political life
2 Name(s) of the Belgian Royal House
3 Members of the Belgian Royal Family
4 Further reading
5 See also

[edit] Involvement in the Belgian political life

Busts of the previous Kings of the Belgians

The Belgian monarchy combines several public and political missions. On the one hand, the king symbolises and maintains a feeling of unity by representing the country in public functions and international meetings.

On the other hand, the king has a number of responsibilities in the process of government's formation. The process starts by the nomination of the “Informateur” by the king who after the general elections is appointed to inform the king of the main political formations which are possibly available for governance. After this phase, the king can appoint an other "informateur" or appoint a “Formateur”, who will have the charge of forming a new government.

The king has the right of meeting the prime minister regularly during which he can exercise the power of warning and advice (due to the length of the king's reign, this is notable).

The king has the formal rule of the commandment of the Belgian army and plays an important although largely ceremonial part in it. Until Leopold III, the king had commanded the army in person in the field.

Lastly, Belgians can write to the king when they meet difficulties with administrative powers.

The political power of the king has been subject of public debate and with each king the personal power has lessened^{[verification needed]}. Currently some debate is waged about reducing the role of the king to a strictly ceremonial role in the mold of the Swedish king^{[verification needed]}.

[edit] Name(s) of the Belgian Royal House

Because of the First World War, King Albert I decided in 1920 to no longer use the name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as the official family name of the Belgian royal family. The decision was done in silence and not enacted in an official royal decree. Therefore there is still some confusion in other countries and even in Belgium that Saxe-Coburg-Gotha still is the family name used by the Belgian royals. The family name was changed to van België, de Belgique and von Belgien. As Belgium is a country with three official languages, it was chosen to employ all three language versions as official family name with none having precedence over the other, probably making the Belgian royals the only family in the world with three different but equally valid family names. It is this family name which is used on the royals' identity cards and which they use in all official documents (marriage licenses,...)

On the accession of a member of the royal family to the Belgian throne, his/her family name is officially changed to der Belgen - des Belges as to denote the fact that Belgium is a popular monarchy.

[edit] Members of the Belgian Royal Family

Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, Duke of Brabant (born April 15, 1960). He married, on December 4, 1999, Jonkvrouwe Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, who was created HRH Princess Mathilde of Belgium a day before their marriage. She is a daughter of Baron (now Count) Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz and his wife, Countess Anna Maria Komorowska. They have three children:
- Princess Elisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène, who will inherit the throne after her father, thanks to a 1991 act of succession which created full cognatic primogeniture, altering the order of succession from eldest son to eldest child.
- Prince Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie
- Prince Emmanuel Leopold Guillaume François Marie

Astrid Joséphine Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie (born June 5, 1962). She is the wife of His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, whom she married in 1984 and who was created a Prince of Belgium in 1995. Princess Astrid, with her own descendants, is before her brother Laurent in the order of succession to the Belgian throne, thanks to the 1991 act of succession mentioned above. They have five children:
- Archduke Amedeo of Austria-Este, Prince of Belgium
- Archduchess Maria Laura of Austria-Este, Princess of Belgium
- Archduke Joachim of Austria-Este, Prince of Belgium
- Archduchess Luisa-Maria of Austria-Este, Princess of Belgium
- Archduchess Laeticia-Maria of Austria-Este, Princess of Belgium
Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie (born October 19, 1963). He married Claire Coombs, an Anglo-Belgian former real-estate agent, on April 12, 2003. She was created HRH Princess Claire of Belgium 11 days before their marriage. They have one daughter and two sons: