Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant
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Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, Prince of Belgium (French: Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, Dutch: Filip(s) Leopold Lodewijk Maria; born 15 April 1960), is the eldest son and heir apparent of Albert II, King of the Belgians and Queen Paola. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, King Leopold III of the Belgians and his maternal grandmother Donna Luisa, Princess Ruffo di Calabria.
Biography
Prince Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military School. From 1978 to 1981 he continued his education at Oxford University's Trinity College and finally attended Graduate School at Stanford University, California where he graduated in 1985 with an MA degree in Political Science.
He was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in 1980 and obtained his fighter pilot's wings and his certificates as a parachutist and a commando. In 1989, the Prince attended a series of special sessions at the Royal Higher Defence Institute. The same year, he was promoted to Colonel. 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.
Prince Philippe married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Walloon Belgian noble family and female line descendant of Polish noble families such as the Princes Sapieha, on 4 December 1999 in Brussels, civilly at the Brussels Town Hall and religiously at the Cathedral of Saint Michel in Brussels; they have four children:
- Princess Elisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène born 25 October 2001
- Prince Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie born 20 August 2003
- Prince Emmanuel Léopold Guillaume François Marie born 4 October 2005
- Princess Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne Marie born 16 April 2008
When he assumes the throne, Princess Mathilde will become the first Belgian-born queen consort of Belgium.
Owing to the amendment to the laws of succession (the Lex Salica, or Salic Law) from eldest son to eldest child, Princess Elisabeth is next in the line of succession after her father, followed by her younger brothers, Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel and her younger sister Princess Eléonore.
Recently, the Prince has been a target of criticism within Belgium for his political and social conservatism. During his bachelorhood, vocal detractors had called for him to step out of the line of succession and to allow a more liberal member of the royal family (though the identity of that liberal member wasn't revealed, it is likely to refer to his sister, Astrid) to take his place.
For some years, Philippe, though second-in-line to the throne, was treated as the likely heir of his childless uncle, King Baudouin. As Baudouin and his wife, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, were unable to have children, they became very close to Philippe. However on Baudouin's premature death in 1993, Philippe's father, Albert, inherited the throne.
Titles and styles
- His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium (1960–1993)
- His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, Prince of Belgium (1993–present)
In contrast to King Albert II's title, King of the Belgians, Prince Philippe is called Prince of Belgium, not Prince of the Belgians, a title that does not exist. He is also Duke of Brabant, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. This title precedes the title Prince of Belgium.
His style currently is: HRH The Duke of Brabant.
Upon succession to the throne, he will be known as King Philippe (without a following ordinal (number), in a similar manner to his uncle King Baudouin).
Arms
Dr. Gustaaf Janssens, Archivist of the Royal Palace, confirms that HRH The Duke of Brabant's coat of arms consists of his father The King's coat of arms minus the sceptres and Grand Collar of the Order of Leopold and with the helm facing to the left [heraldic dexter].
Ancestors
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Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant
Cadet branch of the House of
Wettin Born:
15 April 1960 | ||
| Belgian royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant
Title last held by Baudouin |
Duke of
Brabant 1993–present |
Incumbent Heir: Princess Elisabeth |
| First in line | Line
of succession to the Belgian throne 1st position |
Succeeded by Princess Elisabeth |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Albert II of Belgium |
Line
of succession to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha throne 22nd position |
Succeeded by Prince Gabriel of Belgium |
