This is a list of Belgian monarchs from 1831 when the first Belgian king, Leopold I, ascended the throne, after Belgium seceded from the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the Belgian Revolution of 1830.
Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belgian monarch is styled "King of the Belgians" (French: Roi des Belges, Dutch: Koning der Belgen, German: König der Belgier) rather than "King of Belgium" in order to reflect the monarchy's constitutional and popular function.
Since 1831, there have been seven Kings of the Belgians and two regents.
List
edit| Name | Portrait | Birth and death | Reign started | Reign ended | Marriages | Succession right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erasme Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier Regent |
 |
27 November 1769 Liège (Prince-Bishopric of Liège) – 7 August 1839 Gingelom (aged 69) |
25 February 1831 | 21 July 1831 (146 days) |
Chosen by the National Congress | |
| Leopold I | .jpg) |
16 December 1790 Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Holy Roman Empire) – 10 December 1865 Laeken (aged 74) |
21 July 1831 | 10 December 1865 (34 years, 142 days) |
(1) Charlotte of Wales ∞ 2 May 1816 [1 child (stillborn)] (2) Louise of Orléans ∞ 9 August 1832 [4 children] |
Elected by the National Congress |
| Leopold II | .jpg) |
9 April 1835 Brussels – 17 December 1909 Laeken (aged 74) |
17 December 1865[1] | 17 December 1909 (44 years, 0 days) |
Marie-Henriette of Austria ∞ 22 August 1853 [4 children] |
Son of Leopold I |
| Albert I |  |
8 April 1875 Brussels – 17 February 1934 Marche-les-Dames (aged 58) |
23 December 1909[1] | 17 February 1934 (24 years, 56 days) |
Elisabeth of Bavaria ∞ 2 October 1900 [3 children] |
Nephew of Leopold II / Grandson of Leopold I |
| Leopold III | .jpg) |
3 November 1901 Brussels – 25 September 1983 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (aged 81) |
23 February 1934[1] | 16 July 1951[2] (abdicated) (17 years, 143 days) |
(1) Astrid of Sweden ∞ 4 November 1926 [3 children] (2) Lilian Baels ∞ 6 December 1941 [3 children] |
Son of Albert I |
| Charles / Karel prince regent for Leopold III |
 |
10 October 1903 Brussels – 1 June 1983 Raversijde (aged 79) |
21 September 1944 | 20 July 1950 (5 years, 302 days) |
Unmarried[3] [childless][4] |
Son of Albert I / Brother of Leopold III |
| Baudouin / Boudewijn |
 |
7 September 1930 Laeken – 31 July 1993 Motril (Spain) (aged 62) |
17 July 1951 | 31 July 1993[5] (42 years, 13 days) |
Fabiola of Mora and Aragón ∞ 15 December 1960 [childless] |
Son of Leopold III |
| Albert II |  |
6 June 1934 Laeken |
9 August 1993[1] | 21 July 2013 (abdicated) (19 years, 346 days) |
Paola of Calabria ∞ 2 July 1959 [3 children] |
Son of Leopold III / Brother of Baudouin |
| Philippe / Filip |
.jpg) |
15 April 1960 Laeken |
21 July 2013 | Incumbent (11 years, 125 days) |
Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz ∞ 4 December 1999 [4 children] |
Son of Albert II |
Timeline
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See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d Under Article 90 of the Belgian Constitution, from the death of a monarch until the swearing in of their successor or a regent, the monarch's constitutional powers are in the hands of the Council of Ministers (interregnum); this accounts for the difference of dates between the end of one reign and the beginning of the following one.
- ^ The constitutional powers of the king were exercised by the Council of Ministers from 28 May 1940 until 21 September 1944, followed by Prince Charles as a regent until 20 July 1950, and then from 11 August 1950 until 17 July 1951 by his successor under the title of Royal Prince. See Christian Behrendt and Martin Vrancken, "L'article 93 de la Constitution belge et l'impossibilité de régner du roi : une disposition dépassée par son histoire", in L'Europe au présent ! Liber amicorum Melchior Wathelet.
- ^ It is reported that Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, married Louise Marie Jacqueline Peyrebrune (16 February 1921, in La Réole – 15 September 2014, in Saint-Hilaire-de-la-Noaille), formerly Mrs. Georges Schaack, daughter of Alfred Peyrebrune and Marie Madeleine Triaut, in a religious ceremony in Paris on 14 September 1977. This marriage has been mentioned in every edition of the revived Almanach de Gotha. However L'Allemagne Dynastique doubts this assertion, affirming instead that not only was there no civil marriage but that there was also no religious one (which could not take place before a civil marriage, according to French Law). No such religious marriage is registered in the Parish registers of Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge, but a mere private blessing eight months after the death of her husband given by Father Marcelino Carrera was registered: "The private blessing uniting before God Charles Theodore Count of Flanders and Louise Marie Jacqueline Peyrebrune was given at Saint Peter's at the altar of the Sacred Heart on 14 September 1977. The mutual consent was received by your humble brother in Christ (Fr. Carrera) in the presence of Father Keller and witnesses (Comtesse Annie de Bergeret and Mme. Marie Jeannette Aurelie Menahes). The statement is also signed by the participants and witnesses." This was confirmed by private correspondence of Jacqueline Peyrebrune.[citation needed] She published her memoirs in two books: Love in Shadow - The Secret Garden of Prince Charles of Belgium (Editions Tarmeye, 1991) and Carnets Intimes (Editions Tarmeye, 1993).
- ^ From this Alleged Marriage, a Child was born: Isabelle Wybo. She has only ever appeared at one event with Prince Laurent, an event for a new exhibit at the Cinquantenaire Museum although Prince Charles never recognized her. https://www.gva.be/cnt/aid1254922
- ^ From 3 until 5 April 1990, the constitutional powers of the king were exercised by the Council of Ministers during the constitutional crisis around the Belgian Abortion Act (see the external source in the previous footnote).
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monarchs of Belgium.
- Vanthemsche, Guy; De Peuter, Roger, eds. (2023), "Appendix: List of Rulers, Sovereigns and Heads of State (1419–Present) and of Governors General (1507–1794) of the Southern Low Countries and Belgium", A Concise History of Belgium, Cambridge Concise Histories, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 357–360.
- Rulers of Belgium
- History of the Belgian Monarchy at Monarchie.be