Philippe of Belgium

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]

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]

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 a 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
• Prince Gabriel, born 20 August 2003
• Prince Emmanuel, born 4 October 2005
• Princess Eléonore, born 16 April 2008

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.

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.

Philippe played a role in forming a coalition government after the 2014 Belgian federal election.[9] Political meetings with the King were moved from the Palace of Laeken to the Royal Palace of Brussels.[9] In May 2019, Philippe met with Vlaams Belang President Tom Van Grieken, the first time the party had received a royal audience.[9][10]

In 2020 Philippe announced regret for the "acts of violence and cruelty" committed in Belgian Congo.[9]

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

Royal Military Academy	Pilot wings	Parachutist badge	Commando badge
123rd TAW (1978–1981)	9 July 1982	28 October 1982	17 December 1982

1980		1983		1989		2001		2010		2013

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
	Grand Master of the Order of the African Star	21 July 2013
	Grand Master of the Royal Order of the Lion	21 July 2013
	Grand Master of the Order of the Crown	21 July 2013
	Grand Master of the Order of Leopold II	21 July 2013

Foreign honours

Ribbon bar	Country	Honour	Date
	Austria	Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece	29 November 2008[11]
	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][12]
	Finland	Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose	30 March 2004[11]
	France	Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour	6 February 2014
	Germany	Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of Germany	6 March 2016
	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 Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum	9 October 2016
	Jordan	Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali	18 May 2016
	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
	Netherlands	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau	6 May 1993[11]
	Netherlands	Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal	30 April 2013
	Norway	Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav	20 May 2003[11]
	Poland	Knight of the Order of the White Eagle	13 October 2015
	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]
	Portugal	Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz	18 September 1997
	Portugal	Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry	22 October 2018
	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]
	Sweden	Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf	30 April 1996
	Sweden	Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf	30 April 2016
	Turkey	Member of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey	4 October 2015
	Vatican City	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre	19 October 1995[11]

Arms

Coat of arms of Philippe of Belgium

Notes In 2019 the king codified the coats of arms of himself and those of his family through a Royal Decree. The arms of the reigning monarch was modified to include the Saxonian escutcheon. The arms of other members of the royal family was similarly modified.[13][14] The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of the king and queen to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle. The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during the First World War.[15] By including the three official languages in the motto it reflects his wish "to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians".[16] Adopted 12 July 2019 Coronet Royal crown of Belgium Helm A golden royal helm with the visor open Escutcheon Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued gules (Belgium), on the shoulder an escutcheon barry of ten sable and or, a crancelin vert (Wettin), with two crossed sceptres (a hand of justice and a lion) or behind a shield. Supporters Two lions guardant proper each supporting a lance or with two National Flags of Belgium (Tierced per pale Sable, Or and Gules). Motto French: L'union fait la force Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht German: Einigkeit macht stark Orders Order of Leopold Other elements The whole is placed on a mantle purpure with ermine lining, fringes and tassels or and ensigned with the Royal crown of Belgium. Previous versions Previously as monarch, Philippe used the royal coat of arms of Belgium undifferenced.

• Line of succession to the Belgian throne
• Prince Philippe Fund

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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.