Belgium

The day Philippe became King of the Belgians

By
20th July 2023
As King Philippe celebrates ten years on the throne, we look back at the day he became King of the Belgians, July 21st 2013.Prince Philippe was born 15 April 1960, the eldest son of Prince Albert and Princess Paola in the reign of his uncle, King Baudouin. Albert succeeded to the throne in 1993 when his older brother died without an heir. Philippe was now first in line to the throne, a…
Read more
Belgium

Belgium's King Philippe and his unique relationship with the Church

By
18th July 2023
King Philippe of Belgium will be marking a decade of kingship in July 2023; he took the throne after his father abdicated in 2013. Philippe’s role as sovereign has a different relationship with the church than many other monarchs.Belgium does not have a state church. As of 2018, over 60% of Belgians identify as Christian, with 57% of the population identifying as Catholic. As monarch…
Read more
Belgium

Anniversary celebrations under way in Belgium with special photos to mark King Philippe's 10 years on the throne

By
12th July 2023
The Belgian Royal Palace has released new images to mark the tenth anniversary of King Philippe’s ascension to the Belgian throne.Ten photos were released showing the King and Queen Mathilde in casual and formal wear to mark the first big anniversary of His Majesty’s reign.Michel Gronemberger/Belgian Royal PalaceMichel Gronemberger/Belgian Royal PalaceMichel…
Read more
Belgium

King Albert of Belgium set to leave hospital

By
5th July 2023
King Albert of Belgium is set to leave hospital tomorrow.The Belgian Royal Palace has informed Belgian reporter Wim Dehandschutter that the King will be discharged around 2 pm on 5 July and will continue to recover at home.The 89-year-old former monarch has been…
BelgiumFeatures

What's the correct title for Belgium's monarch?

By
3rd July 2023
How do you correctly title the King of Belgium? Is it “of Belgium” or “of the Belgians”? We explain below:With King Albert of Belgium hospitalised, some have questioned why he’s called “King Albert of Belgium” while his son is titled “King Philippe of the Belgians.”The answer is actually quite simple.The reigning monarch and their…
Read more