The Duke of Brabant

Belgian Royalty House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Leopold I Children    Prince Leopold    Princess Marie-Charlotte Leopold II Children    Princess Stephanie Albert I Children    Prince Leopold    Prince Charles    Princess Marie José Leopold III Children    Princess Josephine    Prince Baudouin    Prince Albert Baudouin Albert II Children    Crown Prince Philippe    Princess Astrid    Prince Laurent

His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant (Philippe Léopold Louis Marie Wettin), styled HRH The Duke of Brabant (born 15 April 1960), is the eldest son and heir apparent of Albert II, King of the Belgians. His Dutch name is Filip Leopold Lodewijk Marie. The Duke of Brabant. ... The Duke of Brabant. ... Arms of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg-Gotha or Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (German: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) was once the name given to the two German duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in Germany, in the present states of Bavaria and Thuringia, which were... This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Leopold I, first King of the Belgians, (December 16, 1790 - December 10, 1865), was born in Ehrenburg Castle in the Bavarian town of Coburg, and named Georg Christian Friedrich (Georges Chrétien Frédéric in French, George Christiaan Frederik in Dutch) He was the youngest son of Duke Francis Frederick of Saxe... King Leopold II Leopold II, King of the Belgians (Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (April 9, 1835–December 17, 1909), succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Carlota of Mexico (also spelled Carlotta; sometimes rendered as Charlotte) (June 7, 1840 – January 19, 1927) was the wife of regime largely dependent on French troops under the orders of Napoleon III. The only daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians (1790–1865) by his second wife, Louise d... King Leopold II Leopold II, King of the Belgians (Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (April 9, 1835–December 17, 1909), succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Princess Stephanie of Belgium (May 21, 1864 - August 23, 1945). ... King Albert I Albert I (April 8, 1875 - February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... Leopold III, Leopold Philippe Charles Albert Meinrad Hubertus Marie Miguel (November 3, 1901 - September 25, 1983) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of his Heir Apparent, his son Baudouin. ... Prince Charles, Charles Théodore Henri Antoine Meinrad, Count of Flanders, Prince of Belgium (Brussels October 10, 1903 - Oostende June 1, 1983), second son of King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elisabeth. ... Marie-José Charlotte Sophie Amélie Henriette Gabrielle ( August 4, 1906- January 27, 2001) was born in Ostend, Belgium, the last child of Albert I. On January 30, 1930, she married Prince Umberto, who later became the King of Italy. ... Leopold III, Leopold Philippe Charles Albert Meinrad Hubertus Marie Miguel (November 3, 1901 - September 25, 1983) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of his Heir Apparent, his son Baudouin. ... Joséphine-Charlotte Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie-José Marguerite Astrid, Princess of Belgium and Princess of Saxe Coburg Gotha, (October 11, 1927 - January 10, 2005), was born at the Royal Palace of Brussels. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie Wettin, born Laeken, Belgium, June 6, 1934... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ... Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie Wettin, born Laeken, Belgium, June 6, 1934... Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Archduchess of Austria-Este (Astrid Josephine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Maria), styled HRH Princess Astrid, was born on June 5, 1962, in Brussels, Belgium, to King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium. ... His Royal Highness Prince Laurent of Belgium (Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie Wettin) was born on October 19, 1963, in Brussels, Belgium, to King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians (then Prince and Princess of Liège). ... The Wettin dynasty of German counts, dukes, Prince Electors (Kurfürsten) and kings ruled the area of todays German state of Saxony for more than 800 years as well as holding for a time the kingship of Poland. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ... Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie Wettin, born Laeken, Belgium, June 6, 1934...

Biography

He is married to Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Belgian noble family, and they have two children: a daughter, Princess Elisabeth, born 25 October 2001, who, thanks to an alteration of succession laws (the Lex Salica, or Salian Law) from eldest son to eldest child, will follow her father in the succession, and a son, Prince Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie (Dutch: Gabriël Boudewijn Karel Maria), born 20 August 2003. On April 14, 2005, it was announced that the couple will have another child in October 2005. Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant (Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine), styled HRH The Duchess of Brabant, the wife of the current heir apparent to the Belgian throne, the Duke of Brabant. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth (Elisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène Wettin) is the eldest daughter of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant, the heir apparent to the throne of Belgium, and his wife Princess Mathilde of Belgium. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The King of the Franks, in the midst of the Military Chiefs who formed his Treuste, or armed Court, dictates the Salic Law (Code of the Barbaric Laws). ... His Royal Highness Prince Gabriel (French: Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie, Dutch: Gabriël Boudewijn Karel Maria) is the second child and eldest son of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant, the heir apparent to the throne of Belgium, and his wife, the former Jonkvrouwe Mathilde dUdekem dAcoz. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The present Duchess of Brabant would become the first Belgian Queen to be born Belgian, when Philippe assumes the throne.

Recently, the Prince has been a target of criticism within Belgium for his political and social conservatism, and vocal detractors have called for him to step out of the line of succession to allow a more liberal member of the royal family to take his place.

For some years, Philippe, though second-in-line to the throne, had been treated as being the Heir Presumptive of his childless uncle, King Baudouin. However on Baudouin's death, the first-in-line, the late King's brother, Albert, chose to become king himself. It is believed that Philippe's then unmarried status was the reason why his father opted unexpectedly to take the crown, but this has never been proven. An Heir Presumptive (capitalised) is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir Apparent or of a new Heir Presumptive with a better claim to the throne. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ...

Titles

Contrary to Albert II, King of the Belgians, Prince Philippe is Prince of Belgium, not Prince of the Belgians, a title which does not exist. He is also Duke of Brabant since Belgium's first in line to succeed to the King is given this title. When citing its titles, one must cite first "Duke of Brabant" then "Prince of Belgium".

See also

• List of Succession to the Belgian Throne

Belgium uses full cognatic primogeniture; since 1991 males and females have equal rights of succession but this only counts for the offspring of King Albert II, effectively barring the female descended offspring of Leopold II, Albert I and Leopold III from the throne. ...

External links

• Fonds Prince Philippe (http://www.fonds-prince-philippe.org/) (in French, Dutch and German)